GizmoJunkies selling RetroPie SD card

Lyle_JP

I know this project will always be an easy target for pirates. But while I am bothered by that in general, these two instances were using the RetroPie name (bad), and one is even using the RetroPie logo right on the product (worse). I just don't want the inevitable blow-back directed here.

herb_fargus

@Lyle_JP Facebook is particularly egregious for it as well, we've sent multiple reports and they don't care as long as they get their cut. Same with eBay, amazon, etc. It's ridiculous.

tpo1990

Lets just hope that the RetroPie project doesnt get any unwanted attention. Unfortunately there will always be people who will misuse the RetroPie project for their own economical benefit/gain.

A Former User

I won't tell herb how to moderate this forum, but the more idiots buying these pirate devices, the more they come here when there is a problem. So, why not just instantly lock a thread, the mere mention of something like "Pre-made image", or "purchased image", etc.. ?? Or, delete the thread, entirely ?
These idiots need to be told, you buy a pre-made device with Retropie on it, you deal with it, or go back to the seller.
The bigger issue here is the selling of roms, because it's gaining unwanted attention from the main companies - those with the money. At the moment, it's mostly civil offences. What we don't want is it to become a criminal offence, something probably wanted by the Copyright holders. The scumbags selling roms, don't care. I have tried to report them on ebay, and just get no response.

Silent

@John_RM_70 said in GizmoJunkies selling RetroPie SD card:

These idiots need to be told

You do realize a whooping amount of those "idiots" may not even realize that this is not the way to obtain RetroPie, right? Not really fair to call them out just because they don't know better.

mitu

@John_RM_70 said in GizmoJunkies selling RetroPie SD card:

These idiots need to be told, you buy a pre-made device with Retropie on it, you deal with it, or go back to the seller.

We usually tell them they've been scammed. As @Silent said, some of them are regular folks and they think they just bought a console - like they bough a SNES/NES/Genesis/etc. back in the day - without realizing the illegality of it. Some of them will download the RetroPie image and start from scratch when they understand the support options they have for this image.
IMHO, we don't have to bring on the hammer for these first time 'offenders', otherwise we'd be more focused on policing the forum rather than helping and supporting. That doesn't mean they get a free pass or free support.

ballboff

I'd like to know what the actual legalities are around this, as it seems to me that this has been going on for years in different forms. I've seen arcade machines being sold with pandora's boxes inside them, in essence the are the same as a pi with an SD card. People sell DS's with game cards and such, and it just makes me wonder what is the legal way of selling these items? The fake chinese boards probably get around it by providing games that aren't ripped from the original arcade boards, but I wouldn't have said they were open source. If I were to own an arcade board and find a way of ripping the rom from that and loading it into my pi machine, if I then sold that machine off without the original board, i'm then making a copy of the original game and have then committed piracy? So is there a legal way to use mame?

A Former User

@Silent Pretty pathetic attempt to defend the indefensible, don't you think ?
I mean, here is a console, with 10,000 games on it, for, say, £30 ? And you don't think there is something a bit wrong with that ?
If you fall for that, and buy it, then you are a f*cking idiot, period.

ballboff

@John_RM_70 said in GizmoJunkies selling RetroPie SD card:

@Silent Pretty pathetic attempt to defend the indefensible, don't you think ?
I mean, here is a console, with 10,000 games on it, for, say, £30 ? And you don't think there is something a bit wrong with that ?
If you fall for that, and buy it, then you are a f*cking idiot, period.

Ha yeah, it's like those people who buy kodi boxes with all the sky channels on and they don't think there's anything dodgy about it.

Clyde

@ballboff said in GizmoJunkies selling RetroPie SD card:

I've seen arcade machines being sold with pandora's boxes inside them, in essence the are the same as a pi with an SD card. People sell DS's with game cards and such, and it just makes me wonder what is the legal way of selling these items?

Aquiring the licenses to do so from all of the copyright holders.

If I were to own an arcade board and find a way of ripping the rom from that and loading it into my pi machine, if I then sold that machine off without the original board, i'm then making a copy of the original game and have then committed piracy?

INAL, but I'm pretty sure you would.

So is there a legal way to use mame?

Running ROMs you own legally. See https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/10918/where-to-legally-acquire-content-to-play-on-retropie for legal ROM sources.

ballboff

@Clyde said in GizmoJunkies selling RetroPie SD card:

@ballboff said in GizmoJunkies selling RetroPie SD card:

I've seen arcade machines being sold with pandora's boxes inside them, in essence the are the same as a pi with an SD card. People sell DS's with game cards and such, and it just makes me wonder what is the legal way of selling these items?

Aquiring the licenses to do so from all of the copyright holders.

If I were to own an arcade board and find a way of ripping the rom from that and loading it into my pi machine, if I then sold that machine off without the original board, i'm then making a copy of the original game and have then committed piracy?

INAL, but I'm pretty sure you would.

So is there a legal way to use mame?

Running ROMs you own legally. See https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/10918/where-to-legally-acquire-content-to-play-on-retropie for legal ROM sources.

So if I have 50 snes cartridges and i've got 50 roms on my snes mini or raspberry pi, it's still pretty illegal to use those roms.

Clyde

@ballboff AFAIK, it depends of the licenses you acquired and the laws in your country. If either of them do allow copying the roms on the cartridges for private use, you should be on the safe side. If not, you're very likely violating those licenses and/or laws.