Hackers are rampant in the video game world, and have been since the days of Atari. Recently, Nintendo has been embroiled in a lawsuit with two ROM sites owned by Jacob and Christen Mathias, LoveROMs.com, and LoveRETRO.co. The suits have recently settled, with the ROM sites agreeing to pay a combined $12.2 million in damages and abiding by a permanent injunction barring the Mathiases from ROM sharing Nintendo games. They must also relinquish to the company all of their Nintendo video games, files and emulators, as well as ownership of the two URLs, LoveROMs.com and LoveRETRO.co
What Is a ROM Site?
ROM stands for Read Only Memory, and refers to the game data on video game cartridges. A ROM site posts copies of that data for people to download and play on their own devices. Posting that data is illegal.
No Love for Love.ROMs.com
Though $12.2 million seems like an exorbitant settlement for a website that offered free downloadable Nintendo games, don’t be fooled. ROM sites are big business.
Pirating copyrighted material is no joke. Whether it’s songs, cheats, or video games, if caught, you could be liable for a very large fine and potentially damages as well. If you’ve received a letter accusing you of violating copyright law by downloading protected material, contact a local intellectual property lawyer. Perhaps one letter from the lawyer promising you’ll cease and desist will be enough to call of the big dogs. This is one lawsuit you definitely want to avoid.
Related Resources:
- Find an Intellectual Property Attorney Near You (FindLaw’s Lawyer Directory)
- Man Gets 1 Year in Prison for Uploading Pirated ‘Wolverine’ Movie (FindLaw Technologist)
- Illegal Downloads: What Are the Penalties? (FindLaw Blotter)
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