This is an official amendment to the Forum Guidelines.

1. These rules apply to all parts of Victory Road, including private messages.
2. Linking to a commercial ROM file, ISO image, or warez; music, book, television episode, or film download; or a page where a these commercial media can be downloaded will result in an significant negative consequences. Homebrew ROMs and most game hacks (IPS patches) do not count as commercial data and can be linked and discussed without issue.
3. Linking to an IPS patch or providing cheat codes, such as those used by an Action Replay, that circumvent anti-piracy techniques installed by the designer, publisher, or a third party is also considered illegal and will also result in significant negative consequences.
4. Promotion of piracy is also not allowed. Promotion is defined as supporting of illegally obtaining copyrighted media, professing preference of piracy over purchasing, admitting to owning illegal media, or stating knowledge of where to obtain illegal media. This will result in a verbal warning, followed by an infraction, and then a three-day ban.
5. Discussing ROM disassembly and information about ROM data being disassembled by other parties is allowed.
6. These rules may be freely edited at any time as necessary by staff members. These rules also have a loose interpretation applied; in other words, if someone is looking for a loophole, the rules can be bent to apply to that loophole. Staff members caught editing these rules for their own illicit means will succomb to the same ban rules as normal members.

Most people are only downloading ROMs just simply to rip the sprites, not to play the game.....

We told you several HUNDRED times in the chat. We don't care what you do, don't talk about it here.

I modified rule three to stress that it only applies for cheats or ISOs that circumvent anti-piracy techniques, rather than those in general (I had to read the rule four or five times myself before understanding this).

Isn't downloading roms illegel anyways or are there some that is legel? I just wanted to know for a long time.

oh ok then, good to know. that way if like someone i know wants to download a rom i'll let them know its illegal to do that.

Also, if someone's breaking a law, they probably already know that they're breaking it.

Technical, the actual act of downloading the software is not illegal (yet); however, uploading the software is illegal. And if you get caught with a copy you could get in trouble. This is one reason piracy is so big. They can't stop you from downloading the data, and if they know that you are downloading the data, they have to come up with a good excuse of how they came to find out, as monitoring your internet connection is currently illegal. Also note that when you use a torrent to download the file, you automatically share the file as you download it. SO as you download it, you are also uploading it. (which is illegal)

I am not a lawyer, this is not legal advice, and I am not responsible for the FBI knocking on your door. Sources: being very bored and Google.

Yeah, but at the current point, the official law is too confusing and easy to manipulate in corporates' favor, so it's best to ban piracy talk almost completely.

This page has an FAQ on the legality of ROMs and such.

A recent law here in the UK means that persistent pirates can have their internet connection terminated with warning. There's an easy way of checking pirates. A rightsholder could connect to a P2P network of a download that they own the rights to and note the IP addresses.

Downloading and Uploading ROMs which you own or have licensed the rights to is 100% legal.

Because most countries have the "innocent until proven guilty" thing, I would like to assume you have the rights to the ROM unless you say otherwise.

http://www.victoryroad.net/showpost....7&postcount=12

Quote:

Originally Posted by OMGITSJAD First one is a lie. Second isn't a ROM, so it's completely different. There's some ROM related legal listings here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/help/entry.html?cat=24 If anyone wants to read it instead of asking a ton of questions.

Why are we still discussing this? =/

I need to research more often...

This is just a reminder to everyone that, with the advent of Pokémon Black in white in English, to please refresh yourself on the piracy rules. Thank you.

Time for yet another bump. FYI, anyone posting an LP from a pirated game will receive respective repercussions.

So we're not allowed to say we enjoyed someone's Pokemon hack, which implies that we own a ROM?

It's one thing to discuss a hack in and of itself, just don't say how you are playing it.

There is a difference between "Oh man, did anyone else get frustrated at the 3rd gym in Pokemon Purple" and "Uh, the Pokemon Purple patch for my downloaded ROM of Pokemon Red isn't working".

It's simple. If it doesn't have to be mentioned that you are doing something you shouldn't, then don't bring it up in the first place.

I can't imagine the mercy of implications-are-alright applying to every rule.

I think this should clarify exactly what I'm going for.

Okay:

Speaking of Earthbound, does talking about playing and enjoying games like Earthbound Zero and Mother 3, which have no existing English carts, count as piracy? Or does that go under the ROM hack exception?

It seems we might just have to re-evaluate the rules on Piracy a bit to clarify all the grey areas and what is and is not considered "Piracy."