Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Legality of a gaming arcade

This is topic Legality of a gaming arcade in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 04-18-2004, 11:13 AM:

I heard an ad on the radio advertising a new arcade in Saginaw, MI that only has home systems (PS2, XBOX, GC). They charge by the hour for people to play the arcade's games on big screen TV's. I would assume that this would infringe on copyright laws (like film's public performance). It just sounds fishy to me, assuming that the rights to each and every game there had to be cleared.

Unless the rental licensed games could be used in that way without further clearances.

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 04-18-2004, 11:20 AM:

Oh, home systems.....I thought from the thread title you were talking about gambling (gaming) machines.

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 04-18-2004, 03:28 PM:

Straight off a game system box:

"The export, commercial use, or leasing of this product are prohibited to the extent allowed by law."

=TMP=

Posted by Dino Panagiotopoulos (Member # 1579) on 04-18-2004, 10:31 PM:

Theres an Asian guy down the street from me that owns a video game and card store. He does the whole system by the half hour. You just pick the game off the shelf and he pops it in. The best part is that he rents computer games just like console games. New releases, everything. Thats probably the biggest infringer but he makes a killing off of it and makes my life a whole lot more entertaining so I dont complain.

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 04-19-2004, 01:14 AM:

quote:
"The export, commercial use, or leasing of this product are prohibited to the extent allowed by law."

that's a very weak statement dressed up to look like a strong statement.

carl

Posted by Nicholas Suchyta (Member # 2050) on 04-19-2004, 01:46 AM:

Adam,
Do you know where the arcade is or what it's called. I'd like to see exactlly how they are doing things there.

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 04-19-2004, 11:03 AM:

I can't see how this could be anymore illegal than the Lan Gaming Zone places that have been poping up everywhere. Those places have been charging by the hour for PC games. I can't see how a console game would be any different.

Anyone remember the movie "The Wiz"? There was a scene where they go to an Arcade (in Vegas I think) and all the arcade machines are playing NES games. I thought that was pretty stupid (not that the rest of the movie was any more intelligent).

Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 04-19-2004, 12:36 PM:

Nicholas, they are advertising like crazy on Z93.3. Next time I hear it I will try to remember the name. I think its called The Gamer's Lounge.

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 04-19-2004, 07:28 PM:

quote:
Anyone remember the movie "The Wiz"?

Certainly you mean to say 'The Wizard' (1989) , that Godawful 90 minute ad for the NES, Power Glove and Super Mario Bros, starring Fred Savage... [puke]

As for renting a console or networked PC's/consoles and games by the hour, it has been done for years with nary a peep from the software people or their lawyers, provided the software employed is all original and not copies...

-Aaron