Hi LMS, don't worry, I love you, but here goes ....
Here's a thought just to keep the thread lively.
If it's wrong to charge for your time (profit) when supplying CDrs then is it equally wrong for import shops to be selling second hand games as they are profiting (charging for their time) from buying at one price and selling on at another?
No, you're comparing apples to oranges. Re-selling an original item is *NOT* analagous to selling copies of said item. You seem to be focusing exclusively on the final result of a transaction (i.e. making a profit) and ignoring the nature of the transaction itself.
When you buy an original (legal) item, you have certain "consumer rights" governing its use... The right to resell the item (and, in turn, for each subsequent owner to resell it) is one of these rights:
First Sale Doctrine explained:
... Copyright owners hold an exclusive right to distribute copies of their work. The first sale doctrine is an exception to this right. As codified in 17 USC 109, as long as the particular copy was lawfully made, whoever owns it can distribute it however he chooses without infringing. Thus, after a copyright holder distributes a particular copy of a copyrighted work, their right to control distribution of that particular copy is over. Note that the copyright holder retains the right to distribute their copyrighted work in general, but loses rights to the particular distributed copy.
Examples of this doctrine in action are numerous. Video rental stores depend on the doctrine; once they purchase a copy of a video or DVD, they can distribute it to customers on whatever terms they choose, without consulting the copyright owner. Used book and CD stores depend on the doctrine; people can buy a CD, sell it to the store, which can then resell the CD, all without the authorization of the copyright owner. You can lend a book to a friend because of first sale. (Certain restrictions on rental do apply to music and computer programs, with exceptions for libraries and non-profit institutions.) ...
So, you *can* resell legally owned items. You are not granted the right to make unlimited CDR copies and sell them for profit, however.
If your answer to the above question is yes then are you of the opinion that everyone in this community (retro games in general, not just this forum) should be 'home collectors' and that there is no room for any business to operate? If you buy any second hand games from shops then you're supporting exactly what you're against, aren't you?
As I've argued, there *is* room for business in the retro gaming community: selling / reselling original games. Does this mean that all folks selling original games are "reasonable" and aren't profiteers? Of course not, there are some bastards who see nothing but $$$$. Folks selling CDR's are no better, IMO, because all they see are the $$$$ they can make
from homemade copies.
Let's be honest, there is no altruism involved in selling CDR's / ROM collections / etc. If you want to help fellow gamers obtain games, there are countless ways you could achieve this goal. As I stated in my first post, the Turbo community needs active members .... but it certainly doesn't need parasites and profiteers.
Trying to make a quick buck: There's no dignity in it.
/sermon
