Are emulators illegal?
individuals the right to make copies of software they purchase under certain provisions. In contrast, legislation has also passed that make some ROM creating devices illegal to operate. CD/DVD copying however is 100% legal, so an individual can make as many backup copies of their software/games as they want, provided they do not distribute the copies.
Even if you own the game, it’s illegal to have the ROM. This is from Nintendo (http://www.nintendo.com/corp/legal.jsp#e… Can I Download a Nintendo ROM from the Internet if I Already Own the Authentic Game? There is a good deal of misinformation on the Internet regarding the backup/archival copy exception. It is not a “second copy” rule and is often mistakenly cited for the proposition that if you have one lawful copy of a copyrighted work, you are entitled to have a second copy of the copyrighted work even if that second copy is an infringing copy. The backup/archival copy exception is a very narrow limitation relating to a copy being made by the rightful owner of an authentic game to ensure he or she has one in the event of damage or destruction of the authentic. Therefore, whether you have an authentic game or not, or whether you have possession of a Nintendo ROM for a limited amount of time, i.e. 24 hour
