Retro forum taboos: Why roms and not reproductions and pirate carts?

[treismac]

Is there a legal reason? I know from Nintendo of America's website that they mention specifically their stand against roms in all cases, but there is no mention (that I recall) of reproductions nor pirate carts. While I understand that obtaining roms is much easier than reproductions or pirate carts, the sale of reproductions and pirate carts actually produces money for the manufacturer. (Yeah, I suppose advertising brings in $ for the rom sites, too). I don't see why rom distribution is illegal or at least frowned upon but pirates and reproductions are kosher. What are your thoughts? Why the double standard?

Also, what the hell is the difference between pirate carts and reproductions, anyway? Is it the quality, amount of games, reliability of advertised game(s) actually being in the cart, geographic origin, or that it is for the Famicom rather than the NES?

[Clownzilla]

Reproductions are usually produced from games that were not released or are extremly rare (ie: Nintendo competition carts). Although probably illegal there would currently be no logical reason for the parent companies to go after the reproduction makers. However, if these companie would ever decide to release the games themselves (ie: Nintendo competiton download on Wii) then I can see some legal challenges. Pirate carts essentially have bootlegged roms for the software so I'm sure that Nintendo would not be happy with those alongside pure software roms.

[BeaglePuss]

I don't see why rom distribution is illegal or at least frowned upon but pirates and reproductions are kosher. What are your thoughts? Why the double standard?

It depends on the site/forum. Some sites like DP, NA, and AA appear indifferent to reproductions. Other sites like Sega-16 outright forbid the sale of reproductions.

Also, what the hell is the difference between pirate carts and reproductions, anyway?

What's the difference between pirate and reproduction? Nothing. They're the exact same thing.

I always use the term pirate to describe something made during the lifespan of the system by a foreign manufacturer, and I use the term reproduction to describe newly produced titles for games that were either unavailable domestically or a prototype. With that said, what I call them really doesn't make a difference, they're both grey-market items that should be looked at in the same light.

[Panzerfuzion]

I always thought the whole repro thing was crazy myself, I think the people that sell old repro's get away with it because the games are in some cases 20 years old and the company's simply don't care. I believe the company's that were involved with said game could do something about repro's if they wanted to they simply just don't care. But who knows in the future if sopa passes in some form.

I personally have issues with it just for the hypocrisy of the entire hobby, what if I wanted to make a repro of an original nes box I could say its a repro when I sell it but don't decide to mark the box as such then the person I sell it to turns around and sells it as the real thing. And then you have the whole sealed side of the hobby, who's to stop some random person starting there own grading company which I believe someone on eBay VGA quality I think.

Then there is the whole resaling part of the hobby, forums are very shady who's a reseller and who's a collector. Even people who say they are in it for the collecting tend to seem to be more about the money. Then you have the whole eBay back dooring thing.

I think people as a whole take collecting old games waaaaay to serious just buy what you like and try not to worry about what other people are doing if some guy is resaling something to high on eBay then don't buy it if someone is asking to much for something on CL then move on. But people have full fledged panic attacks over what other people do and spend most of there time bitching about it. So if no one is saying shit about selling repro's then good for the guy making money on it. Unless you are actually stealing from someone else I wouldn't take much else to serious. It's not like this is some highly regulated nationality known hobby. It's just a bunch of guys buying and selling old video games.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I don't like people making repros of freely available, fan-made video game translations.

But that's another rant...

[Panzerfuzion]

I don't like people making repros of freely available, fan-made video game translations.

But that's another rant...

Yea that's another big one, some people think stuff is cool some people think stuff is wrong. I guess my one issue with repros over other things is in a sense it kind of is stealing because you're making money off someone elses work. I definitely don't have much respect for people that do the whole repro thing but unless the company's that had to do with the games step up it's not really my right to bitch about it.

[Parodius Duh!]

Theres a big difference between repros and pirates. One is handmade (and you can tell due to all the wiring, solder, etc...) and one is still made in a factory on an assembly line (and looks legit, close to what an official cart looks like). In regards to legality, well they are all illegal unless its a title within the public domain laws. Even prototypes, chances are (but unlikely) a company still owns the rights to the unreleased product.