Mame / Multi Arcade games are they legal

GORDONFAN

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Just wondering if these 48-1 / 60-1 machines are legal to make yourself for personal use or too sell? I'm pretty much an EM Pinball guy , but I'm thinking of building one of these things and was wondering if there is any kind of copyright trouble with doing this? I'm not looking for the their never going to catch you answer just a simple YES or NO If it's illegal.

Thanks,
Glennon
 
build one for yourself, if you sell them just expect to get an auction pulled from time to time. but lately ive seen more ebay auctions go through without an issue
 
build one for yourself, if you sell them just expect to get an auction pulled from time to time. but lately ive seen more ebay auctions go through without an issue
I'm not looking to build to sell them. I'm just thinking of building one for myself with the thought of possibly selling it down the road if I get bored with it. So is it illegal or not?

Glennon
 
I guess if you get namco and others to sign off on it you will be good.

Otherwise it is pirated.

You certainly have seen a few guys sell hundreds and hundreds of the boards on here.
 
I'm not looking to build to sell them. I'm just thinking of building one for myself with the thought of possibly selling it down the road if I get bored with it. So is it illegal or not?

Glennon

They are illegal, period, as the boards do not legally license the roms that are on them. That said, nobody is going to hassle you over it if it's in your own house, and the odds that you get hassled over selling one are low as well.
 
They are illegal, period, as the boards do not legally license the roms that are on them. That said, nobody is going to hassle you over it if it's in your own house, and the odds that you get hassled over selling one are low as well.
Is there a licenced version you can buy?

Glennon
 
Are they illegal to make? No. Are they illegal to sell? Well its a pirate board, you figure it out. Only reason I wont say the obvious answer is for the obvious reasons.

With that said, if you want one, go for it. If you get bored with it, sell it, but avoid putting a game list in your ad, plain and simple. Sell the unit, not the games.
 
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Is there a licenced version you can buy?

I believe the Arcade Legends line (Sears sold them at one point) are licensed, but I'm not sure if those are PCB's or just a plug & play in a cab (kind of like the cheesy Midway Classics from Big Games). Your next best bet would be a Namco Classics or a Reunion PCB, but then you go down from 48 to 2 or 3, and for a much higher price tag.
 
Are they illegal to make? No. Are they illegal to sell? Well its a pirate board, you figure it out. Only reason I wont say the obvious answer is for the obvious reasons.

With that said, if you want one, go for it. If you get bored with it, sell it, but avoid putting a game list in your ad, plain and simple. Sell the unit, not the games.
If they are illegal I think I'm going to skip it. Don't need the guilt of feeling like a common criminal or thief. Got to think on it and do some reserch on costs to make one.

Glennon
 
If they are illegal I think I'm going to skip it. Don't need the guilt of feeling like a common criminal or thief. Got to think on it and do some reserch on costs to make one.

Glennon

If you already have a JAMMA cabinet the 48 in 1 board is $75 shipped and is plug and play. The board also has VGA out so you can use an old PC monitor if you don't have a suitable arcade monitor, and you can hook it up to an old PC power supply if you don't have a PSU available.
 
If they are illegal I think I'm going to skip it. Don't need the guilt of feeling like a common criminal or thief. Got to think on it and do some reserch on costs to make one.

Glennon

I'm with you on this , they're illegal so I don't want one as well . I rather stick with original boards and cabs .
 
speeding is illegal too, and rolling through stop signs. jaywalking.
 
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