# discussion of video game console /arcade emulators ?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-video-game-console-arcade-emulators/772457>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [November 19, 2016, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-video-game-console-arcade-emulators/772457 "2016-11-19T19:50:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-video-game-console-arcade-emulators/772457/1 "2016-11-19T19:50:38Z")

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are we allowed to talk and link about things like mame and such? and abandonware also

Some sites don’t care anymore since the peak days have passed… some still do and I don’t remember if there was an firm policy here or not

thanks

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-video-game-console-arcade-emulators/772457/2 "2016-11-19T20:15:57Z")

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Emulators like MAME are legal and you can discuss them here.

The ROM images can get you into trouble. MAME comes with ROM images that are free for personal use, and you can discuss those if you like. Other ROM images are copyrighted, and you’ll note that MAME does not include these ROM images in their distribution. You cannot discuss where to get these ROM images on the SDMB or discuss anything related to these ROM images that would encourage copyright violations.

Abandonware is not automatically in the public domain just because the copyright holder can no longer be easily determined or is no longer enforcing their copyright. While you aren’t likely to get in too much trouble legally with abandonware, using and sharing abandonware is technically a copyright violation and therefore cannot be discussed here.

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**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-video-game-console-arcade-emulators/772457/3 "2016-11-19T20:21:13Z")

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ok thanks for the info…