Renting Games: Legality, Revenue Sharing, etc.

[IntvGene]

I was reading this article on file-sharing HERE (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/09/technology/circuits/09POGUE-EMAIL.html?ex=1071378000&en=20cd940bb9873e77&ei=50 62&partner=GOOGLE) and it got me wondering about the legality and revenue-sharing issue with video games. Are there any revenue sharing agreements with any of the rental chains and gaming companies? How long have they existed for? If not, why have the gaming companies been so slow to react?

It's interesting to me, because I know that Japan (at least until last year for sure) doesn't allow stores to rent video games. I guess that the Japanese gaming companies have more influence over there concerning the renting of video games. Yet, CD rental is huge there. JASRAC (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers) usually puts a sticker on the back of many video games. Does anyone know if this is just for the music that's in the game?

Anyone know why the difference between the two countries? Has the lack of video game rentals (and revenue sharing agreements) affected a similar agreement in North America?

[Iron Draggon]

I remember Nintendo making a big stink about game rentals back in the NES days, but obviously whatever their dispute was, it was resolved in favor of the renters, thank God. With new titles typically costing $50 - $75 or more, it makes no sense for renting to be illegal. I do wish they'd do something about businesses that resell used games without the manuals though. It seems to me that the reason why so many used games are cart only is because places like Funcoland don't require the manuals when they buy. If they would just make it illegal for anyone other than a private individual to resell used games without the manuals, there'd be alot less cart only deals on Ebay, and there wouldn't be so many people making small fortunes selling manuals for insane prices because they know they can get away with it.

[Alex Kidd]

I've often wondered this too, but for a different reason...

How many of you read the warning before/after a movie you watch? I'm sure you've read one at ONE point, and it'll mention blah, blah, unauthorized public distribution or exhibition, blah, blah, prohibited.
One thing that IS illegal but a lot of stores do is (small stores that only carry two or so copies of a movie) buy their stock at WalMart or Zellers or something and stock there shelves... if you're going to rent movies by law you have to buy the copies that are licensed as rental which cost MUCH more than the copies at wal-mart... depending on the movie some costing around 100 dollars each. (I'm not sure but I think rental movies are like televised movies in that thefee is a percentage of of the box office gross).

SO, back to topic I always wondered why there weren't similiar things done with rental games.

Alex Kidd