A question to the admins about the removal of the roms?

[GraphiX2004]

Hello, I'm not moaning and I appreciate the hard work gone into this place for the last 18yrs. I'm not asking for anyone to put them back up like other people here, but I would like to get this seed planted.

Nint doesn't own the copyright to all the other ROMs/Games/Artwork/Music that the site had going for it. I don't understand why pull everything down that isn't Nintendo.

Let's say emu's roms are for really preserving old retro games. What about the true games from other systems that their authors and companies behind them have seriously just vanished and have no interest what so ever in their abandonment games and such.

Isn't just pulling everything offline like these items just going against the reason the site was originally created for? Preserving the really old games and content that now will be lost due to just 1 overzealous money hungry company?

It really gives no defense what so ever to the reason of existing if you remove all the preserved contents lol that's not had any DMCA's or take down requests.

And finally... Nint knew this place existed for 18yrs lol they know people downloaded contents directly from this site for the last decade.

What makes you think they are still not going to come after you just the same even if all the content has been disabled since they can simply claim the damages for the previous 17 years it was available. It's like shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted.

The amount of content that's going to be lost that other companies have really abandoned just because 1 stupid company now after 18yrs has an issue with providing roms that is their property.

Makes no sense to me it really doesn't. What about the rest of the 99.9% of content they don't have any say over or control over? Why should all this be lost just because of 1 company complaining about their works? Why not just scrap the Nint content/sections and keep on preserving the 99.9% of other contents that's nothing what so ever to do with them.

For anyone who's going to reply with stop crying and get over it etc. I collected my stuff for 18yrs + There's nothing I don't have so it's nothing to do with "getting" new stuff. IT really is looking for the logic to the choice that's been made for the world. If there's 1 bad bar of chocolate in the supermarket you don't close down the supermarket with all the other contents lol you simply get rid of the bad chocolate in this case just get shut of all items relating to these mobsters.

I know it's the owners choice at the end of the day. It's upto them to do what they please and I respect that, just if this place was really about preserving all kinds of retro contents... doesn't it seem odd removing every single item that isn't causing issues... The contents that people couldn't ever buy again because the companies no longer exist? Or the authors? Everything that's non- Nint? Wouldn't that just be an 18yr waste?

The internet is a hydra we seen it with torrent sites. You should just make the entire site into a downloadable clone. So others who's willing to take risks could continue on the legacy of this site.

Only reason so many torrent sites existed in the first place is because just 1 site decided to release to the public a snapshot of their source code. From this spawned 1000's without that site doing that. No other torrent sites would of sprung up and formed into what we have today.

Just planting the seed

[Cookie Monster]

I'm going to be very brief because the reason why all that content was removed from the site, is stated in the official announcement available in the main site. Give it another read because the site owner clearly states why he took that decision. But I do want to say something regarding what you said about these "18 years being a waste". I'm going to express what is my personal opinion on the matter and believe me when I say they were not a waste at all. The people I've met, the friends I made, many of which I'm lucky enough to talk to daily, are reasons more than enough to consider these years a blessing. Emuparadise was always something more than just a site to download some files

[GraphiX2004]

Totally agree with you. I mean it's a waste spending 18yrs collecting and preserving abandonware media to then just wipe every trace of it out all because of 1 company moaning about their property. It's like Nint think they own everything under the sun to do with games and gaming even other people's work who may not even mind that people enjoy it daily by keeping it going with downloads and sharing and such.

I'd understand if it all had to be re-uploaded and re-indexed but it doesn't, so I really don't see why remove everything all because of 1 company. Just remove theirs and be done with it.

It's not a waste due to the friends here, or how your live changed because you met people here I get that. If i wouldn't of met a guy on a forum who give me a steam key for CS I wouldn't of met my wife and had my kids with her. So, I get that point totally from experience.

I'm talking about 18yrs collecting preserving media to just dump it all because of 1 company out of 100's complaining.

[deadlegion]

Well I can see the logic in making everything unavailable. Otherwise one person would spend too much time running around removing odd things to comply with takedown requests.
That still goes on with forums shares anyway, and it isn't just ninty related stuff.

Yes, one person.

[Ragnar]

all because of 1 company moaning about their property.

It's not 1 company. Nintendo is merely the most visible and hands on. There are actual companies in the business of doing takedowns and lawsuits for less capable developers, and the stable of rights those companies represent grow all the time.

Anyways, reading your posts, I'm not sure you've read the official announcement on the takedown. If you haven't seen it, here:
https://www.emuparadise.me/emuparadise-changing.php

[TheMightyToast]

i not quite sure about the companies but whatever, and also EP is not taken down completely. all download have been disabled because there are threats by big famous companies so EP wants to avoid that

[GraphiX2004]

was just going to leave this alone but since people have replied might as well continue. Yes, I read the full notice mate, but that just leaves more questions than answers. If they've been dealing with take downs, and had their hosting pulled over the last 18yrs whats the difference now? If this whole Nintendo BS wouldn't of happened then this removal of 18yrs worth of abandonware content from authors who don't even exist anymore wouldn't of happened.

The next thing people are clearly blinded on it's like if you rob a bank and throw the money away you still get arrested and tried for the day you did the bank lol, if they are moaning right now at EP and EP have disabled the downloads why do you think that matters? Do you honestly think they won't keep pushing and pushing until it's closed down?

They will just claim damages for the last 18 years content was available lol it's pointless doing anything now. It's like being zapped in a torrent swarm for 1 torrent 6 weeks ago.

They don't care if you deleted every file of the PC, or never do it again they come after you for the action you did 6 weeks ago.

Nobody seems to understand this. They think just because right now downloads have been disabled it's fine they just say oh ok cool we will leave you alone now.

These parasites don't work like this. They will keep on and on.

All I was suggesting is why not just remove the content that was being complained about and leave everything else as it was until that was complained about as well?

There's content from companies and authors who don't even exist no more, to remove all that as well when it's nothing to do with the complaining companies goes completely against why EP was created and that's for letting people enjoy old media when they either couldn't afford it back then, or didn't know it even existed.

Personally I've got everything that's ever been on offer for 18yrs it's not about the downloads for me it's simply about people now losing such great old content all because of some other companies moaning about stuff they have no rights to do so. Just erks me that they think just because they are a game company they can also speak for all other vendors and authors. And try to get everything on the internet removed and shut down.

[deadlegion]

Do you even realise what triggered all of this was a well known site being taken down completely? There weren't a series of official complaints about some content on offer, they were hit with legal proceedings out of the blue. No warning.

[GraphiX2004]

So you think just because they've removed/disabled the files from being downloaded everything is now okay?
That's like saying well, I tossed the money i robbed last week so I shouldn't be chased no longer.

It wouldn't make a difference right now if all EP had on the site was a single emulator or a notepad text file. They've had dealing with take down requests for 18yrs or so the announcement says. So, they know what content of theirs this site did offer.

Again, what I'm asking is more of an answer of why remove content that wasn't being complained about. Content that was truly abdandonware. If the answer is we just couldn't be bothered anymore, or it was just to much hassle sorting through it all then that's a fair enough answer.

But, if it's because say Nintendo wanted their content removed and also wanted other authors/publishers/companies content removed as well as their own then this needs to be brought into the main stream news not just hidden away.

[Ragnar]

If they've been dealing with take downs, and had their hosting pulled over the last 18yrs whats the difference now?

One hundred million dollar lawsuit from out of the blue for files that haven't been given warnings:
https://techarim.com/loveroms-loveretro-shut-down/
Before that Nintendo's behaviors have been somewhat understandable (i.e. the Breath of the Wild strategy guide is banned here on the forums, Nintendo would rape the entirety of EP over it)

You argument seems to be breaking down to two points:
1) EP can already be sued for what we've done. So why not keep on going!?
2) There are files that seem unlikely to get in trouble for.

My response to those points:
1) Yes EP could be sued still. That would be very unfortunate. But if that would happen, EP would have a strong argument in court that we discontinued the infringing activities well before legal action was taken, and that would mitigate the losses involved in the settlement. Keeping on going knowing that there is a party interested in completely destroying your life, is foolish.
2) The amount files EP was hosting is beyond my ability to even estimate. Was it 50,000? Was it 300,000? Did it crack a million?! There is no way to sort all of those and judge which files have no risk. It would only take 1 committed rights holder to come out of the woodwork on a forgotten game to result in a serious problem. Also going back to my response to point 1), leaving a partial assortment of games available does not show you are pre-complying in good faith, and would certainly have a negative effect should Nintendo or whoever still feel like suing, and would contribute to increased odds of that lawsuit actually happening.

[deadlegion]

Personally I've got everything that's ever been on offer for 18yrs it's not about the downloads for me it's simply about people now losing such great old content all because of some other companies moaning about stuff they have no rights to do so.

If you have a heap of stuff like you claim and feel passionate about said stuff still being available, share it in the forums uploads.

[GraphiX2004]

See now that's something I don't get what difference does it make if it's on the front page of EP index made available to download lol or posted in a forum link? It's still being posted on EP as it's linked to the site directly?

It's like saying the following.

The police knows i have an UN-registered glock with a white smiley face. and the man living next door also has one identical not registered either only his doesn't have the white smiley face printed on it.

The man next door gets arrested for having this gun, but I get left alone. When I inquire why they tell me oh yours has a printed smiley on it.

It's like when a site gets taken down by the police/feds/governments. Then a clone appears by the exact same people this new clone stays up and operates just fine for many more years lol if they can take it down in the first place with so much authority why doesn't the cloned one also get removed as well?

They still know this forum/ep shares the exact same contents inside a sub-forum post but yet the site doesn't get in trouble or taken down? But yet if it's posted on a different page i.e the index it's a lawsuit and site gets taken down/suspended

Yep makes total sense to me that. Either way I'm done now. Humans make no sense and never will.

[Ragnar]

See now that's something I don't get what difference does it make if it's on the front page of EP index made available to download lol or posted in a forum link? It's still being posted on EP as it's linked to the site directly?

The difference is the files aren't hosted on Emuparadise. The files are hosted on random filehosters, which copyright holders will bother instead of us. You are aware several filehosters have been sued into oblivion, right? Most notably Megaupload.

[GraphiX2004]

I could go on with this but cannot be bothered. Cheers for the forums guys at least. Hope everyone has a happy new year.

[ilefys]

The difference is the files aren't hosted on Emuparadise. The files are hosted on random filehosters, which copyright holders will bother instead of us. You are aware several filehosters have been sued into oblivion, right? Most notably Megaupload.

Just wanted to chime in on this bit of your post: I'm afraid that linking through file-hosting services to whatever material EP once illegally hosted on its server(s), in the past, might not be enough to protect this community from possible legal repercussion.
Other — and admittedly, way smaller communities that did exactly THAT (upload stuff like Anime episodes, games, etcetera on the likes of RapidShare, Sendspace, etcetera) eventually closed because their webmasters received cease and desist letters.
Parts of this "platform" are still getting used to illegally throw copyrighted material around, if the Staff members want to be as safe as they can be, they might want to look into getting completely rid of every "sharing subforum".
I suppose the idea is to take a "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it" approach, given the current state of things around here, still… It's something to consider… All removing/disabling access to the stuff EP directly hosted on its servers does is merely buy this place some time (nope, I'm not suggesting that's stupid), putting stuff on external file-hosting websites won't protect EP at all, download links pointing to such material still get published here. Trouble might still befall EP, it happened to others.

As most "chimeras" of this kind, enjoy it while it lasts, that's really all we can do.