Console Gaming and ESA Copyright Protection

With the escalation of technology and prices, it's getting harder and harder for the average gamer to keep up with the console market. Many buy their games and systems used, play outdated games on antiquated systems, or run emulators on their home computers.

Older games and systems are hard to find, and usually expensive; unlike other electronics which go down in value over time, the nostalgia of the past maintains the market for the Atari 2600 and the NES. It's often easier to find games for these systems online; in the form of a "rom", or "iso" file, but is it legal to download them?
Quite often, the answer is yes.

Games dating back to 1995 and before had limited software protection from the ESA, and like all patents and copyrights, that protection agreement came with an expiration date which has since passed. Most games for the NES, SNES, Genesis, and Atari, no longer have licensing or copy rights; with the few notable exceptions of Nintendo and RARE re-instating licenses on games like Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario World, just to name a few.

As for any newer systems or PC games, the individual game rights belong to third party developers, and those rights are clearly laid out in the standard End User License Agreement. Provisions have been made for archival backup copies only, so if you purchase a game, new or used, you have thus obtained a proprietary software license, and you are legally entitled to make as many copies as you like (for personal use, of course). Backup copies can be used in place of the originals, and the original copy can later be sold or given away as a gift, but you retain perpetual proprietary rights. So long as you don't attempt to sell or in any other way distribute said copies, you're well within the letter of the law. Just to be on the safe side, always keep your receipts, so you can prove ownership of the software license should anyone become suspicious of your collection and it's origins.

Game Copy Articles and Resources

How to Copy Wii Games: Saving Your Expensive Wii Games
As an avid Wii gamer, you know how frustrating it is that after a while of using your Wii game disc, it will eventually not work anymore because of scratches resulting from hours of use. You can also never avoid damaging your Wii discs because of improperly handling it or storing it in the disc storage device. Because of this fact, you will want to take care of your Wii game discs in order for it to last and also to enjoy playing with your favorite Wii games for a long time.

Copy Ps2 Games
So you want to copy video games and have no idea how? I was in the same situation. One day I came across a site called Copy PS2 Games selling game copy software. By using Game Copy Pro you can Copy PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, PS1, Gameboy, Gameboy Advanced, PSP, Dreamcast, even PC Video Games.

Copy Xbox Games with CopyThatGame
The worst feeling in the world is to have one or more of your favorite Xbox games unplayable thanks to disc read errors or a broken disc.

Xbox Games and How to Create Back-Up Copies
Since 15th november 2006 millions of xbox gaming consoles have been sold. No wonder, xbox is still one of the best gaming consoles in the market! And it is also no wonder that there is a need for making copy of xbox games. Xbox games are pretty expensive and if one of the cds breaks by mistake you will need to buy the game another time. This does not happen if creating backup copies of your games!

Learn how to copy Xbox Games
Have you ever had a Xbox game that you wanted to play, only to be stopped by lost discs, broken discs or disc read errors? It happens more often than you think, and lots of people wish they had a copy of their games so they won’t have to waste time and effort finding a brand new copy that they might lose again. Some gamers have collected a vast library of games that require hundreds of dollars to replace with brand-new retail copies, depending on if those copies are not rare and hard to find games that are out of production

Eliminate UMDs with PSP Copy Games
Are you an avid PSP gamer? If so, you probably have dozens, maybe even hundreds of UMDs. Picking and choosing from this many discs can be annoying, especially when you’re on the go. In addition, if any of these discs get severely scratched, you can forget being able to play them. This means that the $40 or $50 you originally paid for the game goes down the drain.

Learn how to copy PS3 games
One thing that a lot of gamers wish for is for the ability to create backups of their favorite games. This could come in handy in the event that their original copies get scratched, broken or otherwise damaged in some way or form. Normally, having to replace a game means spending about $50 a copy, and for gamers with large collections, possibly hundreds of dollars.

Copying Wii Games Easily
Nintendo Wii is one of the most popular game consoles on the market, but the games are extremely expensive. And what happens if your game gets scratched or broken, you have buy another one right? Wrong! You can game copy Wii games to have backup copies of all of your favorite games. It will save you time, money, and frustration.

How to Copy 360 Games
A gamer’s worse nightmare is being stopped from playing their favorite games by lost discs, broken discs and even disc read errors. Even worse is having to spend the time, energy and effort in looking for another copy in retail stores, then having to spend substantial sums of money for a brand-new copy. At $50 to $60 a copy, brand-new original games are very expensive, and gamers who have acquired a large library of them understand the need for backups in the event of an emergency.

Backup Wii Games
Do you want to learn how to backup Wii games? Nintendo Wii is the one of the hottest game consoles on the market, but the games being very expensive. You do not want to have to replace a game if something happens to it and it gets scratched or broken. It is very easy to make back up copies of all your Wii games.

How To Copy PS3 Games
Playstation 3 or PS3 is one of the most expensive game consoles on the market and the price increases when you have to buy all of the games. When a game gets scratched or broken, the last thing you want to do is have to spend more money to replace it. You will never have to replace a game again when you learn how to copy PS3 games easily from your own computer.