In article <01bd1e8e$bea95680$0f02000a@light>, you wrote:
>Maybe the copyrights on the original 2600 game cartridges have expired by
>now. The original games weren't software, they were game cartridges with
>computer chips inside. Computer chips are only protectable for 5-years as
>"mask works".
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10 years actually. And if the masks arn't registered there is no copyright.
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>The .bin files that currently are available were obtained by
>"reverse engineering" the computer chips in the cartridges, and
>reverse-engineering computer chips is specifically permitted by copyright
>law. Any thoughts?
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Well this is where it gets sticky. If the copies were made from the chip
masks, then they'd be legitimate. But I don't know if dumping a ROM can
be considered the same thing as making a copy from the ROM mask.
I guess we'd need more information on what exactly occurs during a ROM
dump and if it in any way related to the mask.
If the dump looks at the mask and then translates it into a binary form
then the copy is legitimate. If it copies by some other means then it's not.
Also, the .BIN would have to come from a ROM and not just from compiled
source code.
CRACKERS
(A very grey area from hell!!!!!!!)
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