Ask HN: Are there any legal issues for commercial emultor software?

6 points by ibobev 5y ago ↗ HN

here are many emulators for old computer and game console systems (like C64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, NES, Sega, etc). But all I know about are free and open-source software. I was not able to find any commercial ones. Are there any legal issues for creating commercial emulation software for old systems?

2 comments

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crudd 5y ago ↗

There was Bleem! (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleem!) Which was a commercial PlayStation emulator that won a case against Sony, but ended up going backrupt from the court cost (according to Wikipedia).

tldrthelaw 5y ago ↗

Its probably fair use, but if you have any real success you'll be sued -- the first part of this sentence just means maybe, after a long and protracted legal battle costing you hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars, you will prevail.

See: Sony Computer Entertainment v. Connectix Corp. https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=716676913673727...