# Video Game Libraries Hit a Legal Wall: No Remote Access for Emulated Game Collections! 🎮

**URL:** <https://onehack.st/t/video-game-libraries-hit-a-legal-wall-no-remote-access-for-emulated-game-collections/294460>\
**Category:** News & Articles\
**Tags:** ebook, piracy, technology\
**Created:** [October 26, 2024, 5:14am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/video-game-libraries-hit-a-legal-wall-no-remote-access-for-emulated-game-collections/294460 "2024-10-26T05:14:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TheJoker](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/thejoker/32/22660_2.png) [@TheJoker](https://onehack.st/u/TheJoker)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2024, 5:14am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/video-game-libraries-hit-a-legal-wall-no-remote-access-for-emulated-game-collections/294460/1 "2024-10-26T05:14:44Z")

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**Summary:**

1. **Legal Denial**  
Video game libraries have lost a legal appeal to share emulated versions of their physical game collections online, as the US Copyright Office denied their request for a DMCA exemption.

2. **Impact on Researchers**  
The decision forces researchers to physically travel to distant libraries to access rare physical game copies, limiting the availability of important gaming history.

3. **Arguments Against Remote Access**  
The Copyright Office sided with the **Entertainment Software Association** , arguing that remote access could create a loophole for an unauthorized “online arcade” that could undermine the market for classic game re-releases.

4. **Market Concerns**  
Despite studies showing that many older games are out of print, the Copyright Office noted a “healthy” market for reissued titles, indicating that some games still see commercial success.

5. **Historical Context**  
The Register of Copyrights highlighted the association of emulation with piracy as a concern, even as advocates for game preservation argue for the importance of emulation in maintaining gaming heritage.

**Read more at:** [Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/10/copyright-office-libraries-cant-share-remotely-emulated-versions-of-physical-games/)