[Legality] Dumping your BIOS for PCSX 2, legal or not?

[GoldySpector]

Hi everyone

I ran across a little discussion with a moderator in the Gamefaqs' board, and he explicitly said that dumping my own PS2 BIOS in order to use it with PCSX 2 is illegal and prohibited by laws (US laws, I guess).
I asked for proofs, but I had nothing based on laws, only "blathering":

Let me explain this to you, since you like many other people seem to have the common misconception that owning a console means that you can use that console's BIOS to power an emulator. This is 100% false. You are legally allowed to make a copy of a piece of software that you own for ARCHIVAL purposes only. That means you are allowed to take games and rip them into ISOs or rip the BIOS from a console, but you are NOT legally allowed to then take these rips and use them in an unintended manner, such as to power an emulator or to play on an emulator. Please actually take the time to read up on copyright laws and don't just quote whatever site it is you download your illegal software from.

(I guess that the "illegal software" he's speaking about is... PCSX 2. )

That's why I'm still very suspicious about the authenticity of this admin's words.
Can someone help me to know the truth? What are those "laws" that forbid one to use his/ her own BIOS (if they even exist)?

Thanks in advance for further help.

Sincerely,
GoldySpector

[refraction]

And i'm sure he never recorded the radio on to cassette or video'd his favourite show when he was growing up too

Legally speaking, for something you own, you can do what you wish with it, copy it, wipe it, throw it out of the window, it doesn't matter, the main thing is that it is in no way distributed to other people and copies are only used by yourself. While it may not be written exactly like that in law, I have never heard of anybody getting arrested for making a backup of their own media/software.

If this really was illegal, Sony would have sued us a long time ago, they have not touched us so far. From what i've heard from various people speaking to Sony, they actually quite like our work, but don't really want to associate with it (for obvious reasons)

[Bositman]

So if I make a backup of my audio CD then use it as a frisbee, since that is not an archiving purpose, it's illegal, it was never intended to be used that way. Yep, I'm quite sure that's what the law says

[jesalvein]

That gamefaq mod may be right if he's talking about the law in his own country.
I guess he doesnt live in UK

[GoldySpector]

Thanks everyone for answering

Legally speaking, for something you own, you can do what you wish with it, copy it, wipe it, throw it out of the window, it doesn't matter, the main thing is that it is in no way distributed to other people and copies are only used by yourself. While it may not be written exactly like that in law, I have never heard of anybody getting arrested for making a backup of their own media/software.

That's exactly what I'm thinking. How can they "forbid with laws" such things when they are for personal use only. How can they even know what consumers are doing with their PS2 system if people don't release anything? No way.

So if I make a backup of my audio CD then use it as a frisbee, since that is not an archiving purpose, it's illegal, it was never intended to be used that way. Yep, I'm quite sure that's what the law says

Just make sure that there isn't any police officer or military unit nearby, when you'll throw the audio CD-Frisbee

That gamefaq mod may be right if he's talking about the law in his own country.

Yeah, sure. But Gamefaqs must be under US or UK laws, not under the admin's city laws. Otherwise, it will be a bit random.

Anyway, thanks again for those answers.

Sincerely,
GoldySpector

[refraction]

I will quote this from here to do with the UK copyright law (which we are under) http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/copyri...yright_law

Acts that are allowed
Fair dealing is a term used to describe acts which are permitted to a certain degree without infringing the work, these acts are:

Producing a back up copy for personal use of a computer program.

im quite sure that the law is the same in the US, but many seem to be under the impression is that you are allowed to take a backup but never make any use of it whatsoever!

[Amak]

That mod is... really extreme. Even if you couldn't make a backup for personal use, I doubt the police would waste resources coming after you. This would be one of those "bonus charges" they tack on if they catch you for something else, if they even did anything with it.

PCSX2 being illegal... ROFL. My sides, I wouldn't trust that admin at all. Sounds like he is just extremely against emulators.

[GoldySpector]

Thank you very much refraction, I'll bookmark the link!
And the law couldn't be more clear to me.

That mod is... really extreme. Even if you couldn't make a backup for personal use, I doubt the police would waste resources coming after you. This would be one of those "bonus charges" they tack on if they catch you for something else, if they even did anything with it.

PCSX2 being illegal... ROFL. My sides, I wouldn't trust that admin at all. Sounds like he is just extremely against emulators.

To make things worse, it was actually 3 admins (including a "Lead Moderator")... It's probably a rule to label everything about emulation as "illegal", and to include non-existing "laws" in their blather to avoid further discussions.

Thanks again!

[DaMan]

If there was any truth to that the iPod and other MP3 players would've been sued out of existence.

[rama]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game...ted_States

Case closed.