Emulators going to be allowed by U.S. Copyright Office

[volvox]

Saw this news on DailyTech.com and immediately thought this would be good news for sega emulator/homebrew games developers, at least up to Saturn, as Dreamcast is still getting new games on stores nowadays.

You can also see the actual document here: http://www.copyright.gov/1201/ (take a look to topic n. 2, in particular to understand why Dreamcast isn't "old enough").

 

[antime]

Good grief, why does this happed every time they update that fucking law? Can't anyone read anymore? Look at the top of the page, I'll even quote it here so you don't strain yourself:

Rulemaking on Exemptions from Prohibition on Circumvention of Technological Measures that Control Access to Copyrighted Works

In plain English, what this means is that even though the DMCA forbids breaking copy-protection there are certain cases where it's allowed. Every three years the Librarian of Congress revises the exemption list based on received feedback. New for this latest revision were the exemptions for dongles, ebooks and telephone firmware.

At least this time no-one has claimed that all old games will become public domain, like last time.

 

[ExCyber]

the DMCA forbids breaking copy-protection

That's a common summary, but it's not entirely accurate. There is no requirement that the access control actually have anything to do with copying, which is part of what makes this law so terrible - it essentially allows publishers to invent their own arbitrary sets of rights and gives them the force of law as long as they're backed by some "technological measure" that "controls access". Things like region coding and software rental/activation schemes come to mind.

 

[volvox]

Good grief, why does this happened every time they update that fucking law? Can't anyone read anymore?

Yes, you're right... I got so enthusiastic that I didn't read it properly. I really deserve to be :flamethrower:

That's a common summary, but it's not entirely accurate. There is no requirement that the access control actually have anything to do with copying, which is part of what makes this law so terrible - it essentially allows publishers to invent their own arbitrary sets of rights and gives them the force of law as long as they're backed by some "technological measure" that "controls access". Things like region coding and software rental/activation schemes come to mind.

That's a more logic interpretation, but, if that's possible, I can smell lawsuits coming (now that I read it properly)...

 

[antime]

That's a common summary, but it's not entirely accurate.

I think we've had this exact same discussion before and while you're right, in the context of archiving old software the access control method is usually copy-protection systems.

Yes, you're right...

My frustration isn't with you, it's with the so-called "media" that blindly reports this un-researched crap. The last time various fantastic claims were even printed in game magazines, which should help explain why people don't read them anymore.

 

[ExCyber]

I think we've had this exact same discussion before and while you're right, in the context of archiving old software the access control method is usually copy-protection systems.

True, and as far as your statement goes it's not false. The problem I have with it is that the idea of 1201 as a ban on breaking "copy protection" kind of carries (or at least supports) the implication that it doesn't affect someone who doesn't want to make copies.