Are Atari ROMs legal?

It is supposedly illegal, but if the copyright holder knows about a use of their ROMs and doesn't do anything, there exist and "implied license" allowing their use. Source: here. Providing a means to download these ROMs is not illegal, it is allowed.
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Has anyone gone to jail for downloading ROMs?

So, basically, under no circumstances is playing ROMs on an emulator legal. But no one has ever been prosecuted for it – not even once. Mind you, websites sourcing ROMs have often been asked to shut down.
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Are Atari games copyrighted?

As copyright protection for video games in the United States became more recognized in the early 1980s, and as other similar video games were developed, Atari submitted an application for copyright registration in 1987 to protect their work.
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Can you emulate Atari games?

The Atari 2600 Video Computer System (VCS), introduced in 1977, was the most popular home video game system of the early 1980's. Now you can enjoy all of your favorite Atari 2600 games on your PC thanks to Stella! Stella is a multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator released under the GNU General Public License (GPL).
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Are CD ROMs legal?

Emulators are legal to download and use, however, sharing copyrighted ROMs online is illegal. There is no legal precedent for ripping and downloading ROMs for games you own, though an argument could be made for fair use.
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Emulators and Roms are they LEGAL?

Do ROMs count as piracy?

Pirate copies of game files are often referred to as “ROMs”. The uploading and downloading of pirate copies of Nintendo games is illegal.
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Why is downloading a ROM illegal?

Game companies and copyright law don't care if they don't publish or make profit of their old games anymore, it's their copyright and they will consider this as a form of piracy.
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Is it illegal to emulate retro games?

Emulators are legal, as emulating a system is not exactly the same as copying proprietary code of that system. Except those emulators which require the BIOS files to run, they are illegal. Since NES emulation does not require bios files that won't be a problem.
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What is the rarest Atari games?

Top 10 Most RARE Atari 2600 Games as of 2024
  • Extra Terrestrials:
  • Gamma-Attack: ...
  • Video Life: ...
  • Atlantis II: ...
  • Killer Satellites: ...
  • Red Sea Crossing: ...
  • Save Mary: Save Mary, a prototype, is another rare title for the Atari 2600. ...
  • Birthday Mania: Birthday Mania is a rare and sought-after game for the Atari 2600. ...
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Does the Atari 2600+ use emulation?

Yes, the Atari 2600+ uses emulation technology to play game cartridges. View the full list of compatible games here.
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Why did Nintendo sue Atari?

While in the process of “reverse engineering” the 10NES program, Atari made multiple intermediate copies of both the program's source and object code. Atari sued Nintendo for, among other things, antitrust violations, and Nintendo sued for, among other things, copyright infringement of the 10NES program.
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Are old games public domain?

Once video game copyright protection expires, the game becomes part of the public domain, which means that anyone can use, distribute, or copy the game without permission.
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Why did Atari stop making games?

Faced with fierce competition and price wars in the game console and home computer markets, Atari was never able to duplicate the success of the 2600. These problems were followed by the video game crash of 1983, with losses that totaled more than $500 million.
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What happens if you get caught using ROMs?

If you own a game physically, you are likely to emulate or own a ROM of the game. However, there's no legal precedent in the United States to say it's illegal. There is no trial on record of any company going to court over emulators or ROMs and their use.
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Are Nintendo ROMs illegal?

It is illegal to download a Nintendo ROM from the internet whether or not you own an authentic copy of that game.
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Why is emulation legal?

While emulation software itself are legal, emulating games is only so when legitimately purchasing the game physically and ripping the contents. Freely downloading or uploading game ROMs across various internet sites is considered to be a form of piracy, and users may be sued for copyright infringement.
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What Atari game is worth $10000?

Red Sea Crossing

The only known ad for the game was in Christianity Today. Red Sea Crossing is the most expensive Atari 2600 game when it is cartridge only, by about $10,000. Air Raid sells for more when it comes with a box.
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Are old ataris worth money?

Atari games

The game console isn't a rare item that fetches tons of money – unless of course, it's still factory-sealed. And certain copies of games can bring in thousands of dollars. Keep looking: You won't believe how much your old toys could be worth.
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Is Atari worth any money?

The Atari 2600 is a highly sought-after retro gaming console, with prices ranging from a few hundred dollars to over $1,000, depending on the condition and rarity of the console and games. The Atari 2600 was released in 1977 and was one of the first successful home video game consoles.
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Why is Nintendo against emulation?

“Nintendo is committed to protecting the hard work and creativity of video game engineers and developers,” a spokesperson for Nintendo told Kotaku last May. “This emulator illegally circumvents Nintendo's protection measures and runs illegal copies of games.
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How illegal is emulating?

Although emulating a game is not explicitly illegal, downloading copyrighted code (in this case, downloading a video game) is, and the many fan-made or parody games that one can play on emulators occupy something of a legal gray zone.
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Is dumping games legal?

“Making a copy of a computer game and playing it for one week and then deleteing it is legal?” You know the answer is no. You know that the copying is the crime, no matter how long you keep or use the copy.
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Are PS2 ROMs illegal?

Is Downloading PS2 ROMs Illegal? Yes, it is. However, at least in the USA, people won't get in trouble purely for downloading PS2 ISOs directly, because intent to pirate can't be proven.
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Can ROMs be malware?

The emulators themselves are more likely to give you viruses or otherwise compromise your system than the roms are. Of course if you download from the official sources rather than some random mirror site, you're usually pretty safe.
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Is it illegal to stream ROMs?

unless the game was classified as “abandonware” then your possession of the rom is illegal, unless you own a copy of the game itself in which case you may be able to claim your rom is just a backup copy you use to prevent damaging the original. broadcasting it for profit would be a seriously stupid thing to do.
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