This Months Haul: September 2016

[Pineapple]

I bought some shmups on the Steam sale. I plan to transfer them to into gold NES cases and pass them off as Zeldas for a quick 50 spot.

[icarusfall]

Coming from the tape trading scene of the 90's, I'm all about bootlegs. It's an excellent way to experience something you might otherwise not get to. I'm not about losing out on life experiences because of some ill-defined morality clause some people have.

[Yoshi]

That's an interesting way to look at it. I'd call it an ill-defined entitlement clause.

[Some Stupid Japanese Name]

you have a right to experience the copyrighted works of others. It's in the constitution.

I'm sure the bands that have to live on the road for the greater part of the year just to get by are thrilled by the devaluation of music. I feel like you should come cook for me for free. Why shouldn't I and all my friends get to experience your artistry just because we don't want to pay for it?

[bbobb]

Actually we should have a right to public domain for anything of a certain age but thanks to Disney and Mickey Mouse that right has been lost, to the detriment of culture.

[icarusfall]

These things aren't equivalent. Me listening to a copied tape from a friend is hardly the same as doing your job for free - hell, most bands don't make a dollar from record sales. I know bands that encouraged people to dub their albums so that as many people as possible could hear it. Especially if it was a record from 20 years ago that is no longer even in print. Functioning as a reseller is a small difference between a bootlegger, a gouger, and a fan. I don't owe you anything. There's an argument that I owe the content creator, but I disagree.

[Some Stupid Japanese Name]

professionals make music in order to get paid for it. record business tomfoolery aside, the contract is "I made this music, if you'd like to hear it-buy my album."
By listening to a copied tape, you certainly are asking the musician to work for free.
You've no right to content unless the content creator explicitly has stated such.
I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree.

[Fe 26]

I'll say it more strongly in a specific case. If you make a bootleg of a game that is intentionally indistinguishable from a legitimate copy of that game, you're an indefensible douche and fuck you.

well yeah, if you're taking advantage of people you're a douche.

[Josh]

There is no legal way for me to listen to a fair amount of Joy Division's live material, so I bought a bootleg record. Ian is dead, and the rest of the guys are millionaires because New Order. I don't feel bad. I also own about 15 Nirvana bootleg records, mostly concerts. I'm aware this doesn't translate directly to repro carts, but I think it's what Icarus is talking about.

[Fe 26]

By listening to a copied tape, you certainly are asking the musician to work for free.

yes, but this is also true of most of the expensive used games and less expensive used games.

Content creators are not getting money from used game sales. And they really aren't getting anything out of used games that now sell for more than the game was listed at retail.

Things are getting better with steam eventually catering to all price points and not allowing sales that go around the creator. And square sure does reprint a lot of rare games. Like, I can go buy a new copy of FINAL FANTASY CHRONICLES GREATEST HIT [PS] on their site.