Nintendo Patents Gb Emulation

[barnesy]

Slashdot are reporting that Nintendo have taken out a patent on gameboy emulation. The story specifically mentions the GBA emulator in development for the Zodiac but I guess it has relevence here too.

The slashdot story: http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=0...208&mode=thread

 

[khephren]

Slashdot are reporting that Nintendo have taken out a patent on gameboy emulation. The story specifically mentions the GBA emulator in development for the Zodiac but I guess it has relevence here too.

The slashdot story: http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=0...208&mode=thread

that stinks to high heaven, the first person to emulate the GBA on the PC would have prier patent rights to this. Actualy it may go further, the first person to invent an emulator may hold ther patent rights on 'first usage' terms. They are just trying to scare people, sony already tried this tactic and lost to Bleam. Also, anysoftware is allowed a backup, so long as only one copy is in use. I hope someone takes them on.

 

[barnesy]

Oooh, I hadn't though of the prior art angle on that. Yes, you're right. It coudl be funny if someone sued them for that. But then it's probably better not to get them even more excited than they already are!

 

[mr.mirko]

Ithink the emulator is now dead... But who cares ? It was for the zodiak, it was closed source, it was not very cheap ...
There is only one way, release the source, so that others can improve the emulator in underground ...

 

[Arda]

hmm I thought software patenting was declined by EU. am I talking nonsense?

 

[barnesy]

Ithink the emulator is now dead... But who cares ? It was for the zodiak, it was closed source, it was not very cheap ...
There is only one way, release the source, so that others can improve the emulator in underground ...

This doesn't just relate to one emulator though. And not just GBA, but GBC and GB too. I'm only mentioning it for interest though - I'm not sure how much effect the patent will have. I guess there'll be more news about it soon if they've decided to get aggressive.

 

[finty]

this is crap, they cant stop any wmus with this patent, there tryin to scare people

 

[khephren]

hmm I thought software patenting was declined by EU. am I talking nonsense?

I think the Zodiac EMU was US based, the EU laws are different.

 

[ZardozJones]

If you read all the various sources on that story a few important things emerge. Things are not as bad as they may seem. The patent was originally created to catch ultraHLE, and appears to be just a legal bullying tactic to shut CF down. The CF emu is nothing like the HLE specific points in the patent - and the thus the patent will almost certainly not stand - don't worry

 

[TelcoLou]

They were charging money ... for an emulator. Of course they got caught and punished. Sheesh!

 

[NiN^_^NiN]

The whole idea is to make sure people don't sell a nintendo gameboy emulator from what i can tell.

h34r:

 

[goop]

Pretty obvious you can't emulate GBA, charge money for it and don't get in problem for it. If it was freeware and didnt put that stupid banner on the site (1600 games yadayada) it would be aaaall goood! <_<

 

[ThndrShk2k]

Amazin you guys got the news from Slashdot and not from our very own boards with the GBA Thread *in which has been getting some action, like a good ass GBA emu*

 

[RoboJoe32]

Don't worry, Nintendo's DS will drain big N's wallets soon when it flops (Give em a few years, Nintendo will be history, they are a "decent" gaming company, but a horrible one business wise.)

 

[goop]

Nah, they'll just release some Pokemon-games and it'll be a big success. As always. :rolleyes:

 

[Alpha2]

http://spong.com/detail/news.asp?prid=6328

According to this article Nint mentions the possibility of making their OWN emmulators for computers and PDAs so the zodiac could be seen as infringing on their planned territory and not just their copyrighten software by selling a GBA emu.

It's not a bad idea if you think about it, Nintendo could release a $50 pack of GB and GBC games for PC with nintendos own brand of copy protection and suddenly people would be weighing the choice between hunting through Rom sites (possibly catching viruses) or just buying a completly compatible pack of games on a disk. Not to mention the Airline entertainment industry.

 

[futuredestroyer]

dude this won't change shit... pardon my notty potty language... but it won't seriously. they've had the same thing for roms a long time and it doesn't stop people... they'll keep doing it and they keep finding holes in the system (not nintendos by the law, you know what i mean?)

 

[Alpha2]

Well sure, I mean nothing stops these sorts of thingsm but it can stop average computer users or old people afraid of technology they cant understand. There are always people who'll pay for things that they dont understand how to get for free.

I think that's more the idea here.

 

[futuredestroyer]

yeah thats true there are more, computer illiterate, people out in the world than there are... let's just say Geeks (it's ok i am one so i can say it)... so true they will just think that it's the only option or don't know how to work around it... oh by the way it's like downloading MP3s... the only way you can get caught is if you share your MP3s so i don't think they can really catch you unless you share like with MP3s unless they watch every single website and person on that website downloading the emulator which is illegal itself... invasion of privacy.