Illegal MAME CDs, what to do?

[classic gamer]

This weekend I went to a local flea market and found an incredible deal . All the games I remember playing in the arcades when I was a kid one one CD, over 900 games in total for only $10 what a deal.

I am asking the question here as I'm sure most everyone here has been in emulation in one form or another may be able to tell me what action to take if any.

Here's how it is. Flea market stand run by two kids (15-17? years old) are selling MAME CDs with +/- 900 ROMs on it. This violates two rules/laws. They are distibuting the emulator and ROMs on the same CD (not allowed) they are also not supplying the 900 boards required for a user to have the ROM images.

Now they are not selling them for very much but they are breaking the law and in effect causing others to break the laws (most likely without their 'customer' knowing).

Has anyone else seen this before?

Should I do anything about it?

[KariageKun]

You know if you report them, theyre going to jail and probably have to pay 900 x $1000 = $900,000.

I think they're still too young to understand the law, All you need to do is talk to them, or better, leave them alone and let someone else do something to them. At least when they have to pay millions$$ you wont feel guilty about that.

[classic gamer]

I have to commend them on the fact that they have a good spiel going for selling their product. They do a good job of selling it. The problem is that it is not their product to sell. I don't think I want to see them busted but I feel they need to know what they are doing is illegal.

Anyone have any links to specific fines paid by people prosecuted? I want to show them this is real and that just be cause you can download does not make it free.

[KariageKun]

Well, there is no exact amount or exact law. The current law is kinda useless. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/506.html

But under the future law, its 5 years or $250,000 http://informationweek.securitypipel.../news/17800055

But if its mp3, you have to pay $1000 per song. I dont know about videogames.

Like they said, "its not a crime if you dont get caught" (or reported in this matter)"

[musical]

IMHO their only crime is selling the games.

If they gave them away, I wouldn't care. I've got dozens of CDs filled with old games.

ANYWAY, rRather than ruin these kids' live just go warn them: "Stop selling illegal games, or I will call in the cops."

[Half Japanese]

These guys just haven't learned proper shady flea market/scalper tactics. What they need to do is sell hot sauce or jelly or some shit and "give away" the ROM sets for free with purchase. Similar to the old "free ferrett with purchase of cage" or "free homecoming tickets with purchase of hot sauce" gimmicks you see people trying to pull to get around selling something that isn't meant to be sold, or something that isn't meant to be sold for more than the original asking price.

I give them a C for effort.

[leonk]

Oh please..

this has been done since the beginning of time. One of the most popular booths in every flea market I go to here in Toronto is the one where you have a 21 year old sitting and modding a PS/2.

While you wait, you can browse through his books (yes.. he has a few of them) and select what PS/2 game you want to buy for 10$ each.

The flea owners don't care, and the cops walking around don't care either...

[Captain Wrong]

Oh please..

this has been done since the beginning of time. One of the most popular booths in every flea market I go to here in Toronto is the one where you have a 21 year old sitting and modding a PS/2.

While you wait, you can browse through his books (yes.. he has a few of them) and select what PS/2 game you want to buy for 10$ each.

The flea owners don't care, and the cops walking around don't care either...

Yeah, that's kinda my point too. Do you really think anyone is going to care about a couple of kids making $10 a pop and selling maybe 100 of these tops (and that's being very generous.)

These kids aren't too young to understand the law. I'm sure they get it quite well and they also understand that the worst that's gonna happen is a slap on the wrist.

Besides, I can't count the number of bootleg Tommy Hilfiger, Fubu, Gucci, etc., etc. items I see every time I go to the fleas. Hell, I've seen bootleg clothes, watches and stuff like that at every flea I've ever been to and some times I see pirated movies and music as well. If those people get away with it (and are usually privy to suppliers in a larger operation) don't count on them caring about a couple of kids burning ROMS on their PCs.

[classic gamer]

Oh please..

this has been done since the beginning of time. One of the most popular booths in every flea market I go to here in Toronto is the one where you have a 21 year old sitting and modding a PS/2.

It is my understanding that modding a PS2 is not illegal, but that it will void your warranty. Is that correct? The illegal part is when you copy a PS1 or PS2 game and play it. Right or wrong?

[ClubNinja]

A related aside:

One sunny, peaceful morning while I was browsing at my favorite flea market, all hell broke loose. There's this table run by three hispanic men who sell bootleg CDs (not like bootleg concerts, but rather rips of commercial albums) that's been in the same spot for like three years. On this particular day, while I thumbed through a stack of records two tables down, three plain-clothes police officers hit the table with full force. One of them had a giant garbage bag and was pushing armloads of discs into it from the table. The other two grabbed the men and arrested them. Pretty intense scene. I thought about tipping them off to the kid selling burnt Dreamcast games on the other side of the field, but I'm not sure if they'd care, nor did I want to get in the way

[Brian_Provinciano]

It really bothers me all the emulator ROM CDs and such on eBay--especially when the title state junk like "Lot of 120 NES games", and I think it's actually carts.

I've had trouble many times buying bodybuilding videos on eBay. 9/10 of them have always been fakes. Different sellers, but every time, I get my money back when I complain, but they will NEVER admit they are fakes!

For example, a seller was selling Pumping Iron with Schwarzenegger on VHS (before the DVD, it was hard to come by). He claimed he lost the case while moving--only problem was, his completed items, he had sold over thirty in the past month or something. He got really sloppy and started listing multiple "lost the case while moving" auctions at once! I never reported him, but soon after I got my money back, someone else did, and he got kicked off eBay, possibly other peanalties.

Another time, I was ordering some videos, Volumes #1 and #2-- but the seller was too lazy to put them on separate tapes! He claimed that volumes #1 and #2 were sold on one tape--yeah, right! Anyway, again he claims they are not copies but agrees to give me a refund. Again, I don't report him, but shortly after, someone else does, and he is off eBay.

In both cases, they did really poor quality copies, one tried to cut off the FBI warning, but a second of it was still on the tape. They were also normal T120 tapes and such, heh.

[Hovoc]

How would someone who owns a mame cabinet be affected?

I know there are dvd r's ours there that have 4000+ roms on them, and i know alot of cabinet owners dont own every board on their cabinet. Although ive seen a few people's lists here that have numerous game baords.

Anyways, how do these laws affect mame cabinet owners?

[KariageKun]

Depends on the kids thought. Were they acting like a jerk? If yes, grab a phone and call authority or better news channel.

[Stark]

I don't hit the flea markets much anymore but back in the day the cops did care about any illegal or even shady activity. I witnessed 2 plain dressed cops make a flag dealer pack up and leave since he had 2 american flags with images of something on them. Talk to security at the flea market or make a payphone call to the cops and see if they give a crap. It obviously bothers you enough to vent here so go and shut them down.

[Arqueologia_Digital]

Well, for 56k users like me...full MAME cd´s with all the roms are a good deal

[christianscott27]

back to the first post here...

why do you care?

[-hellvin-]

How would someone who owns a mame cabinet be affected?

I know there are dvd r's ours there that have 4000+ roms on them, and i know alot of cabinet owners dont own every board on their cabinet. Although ive seen a few people's lists here that have numerous game baords.

Anyways, how do these laws affect mame cabinet owners?

There is a five year rule on mame games.

Anyhow, in reply to the first port, I see this type of stuff going on at fleas all the time. I'd just say leave the kids alone, who cares? Why would you really care if someone is selling a mame cd with 1000 games for 10 bucks? OH NO! It's ILLEGAL! Oh well. If you report them you'll probably just get laughed off by the cops as having more important things to do, or they'll probably get a slap on the wrist at worst.

[Hovoc]

not to pull away from the topic agian, but whats this 5 year rule?

[-hellvin-]

not to pull away from the topic agian, but whats this 5 year rule?

I've read most on the xbox scene forums there is a five year timespan from the current year of illegally playable mame games. Anything older is free game. Not sure how authentic this is or what, but it's just what I've heard many times.

[Hovoc]

wouldnt it also matter if they are still licensed or whatever by their companies?

i know on a few sites mario and zelda roms arent on ther ebc they are protected under the ISDN