Why isn't StepMania illegal?

Cutriss · Staff Member Joined: 24 Jan 2002

The fact that you saw where those documents were linked means that you also saw where our designated location for legal pontification is.

In other words, don't talk about that here. We already have a thread for that.
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Laundry · Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2005 2:46 pm Post subject:

Linglingexe87 · Trick Member Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Location: New britain

why you'all hating on stepmania? fat people that cant dance on the d-pad can play stepmania(one of those fat people was me im on standard)

heavymaniac · Trick Member Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Location: MI

Okay, so I have been reading most of this thread and it seems like all of you beleive that stepmania isn't taking away from counsle sales, which must be wrong.

I mean, My main idea when getting really into DDR was that I would try to get any Konami dance game available.(it felt like the US versions sucked and I wanted as many songs available at home)

So what did I do? My idea quickly changed when Ii found out I could download every game of DDR ( including arcade and jap versions) I didn't waste all my money buying the counsle versions, instead I went out and bought the best pads I could afford, then plugged into my computer.

Whether or not Konami THINKS that SM might be helping their counsle sales, it seems like that couldn't possibley be the case.

kamron_1 · Trick Member Joined: 15 Nov 2002 Location: YAY AREA

heavymaniac · Trick Member Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Location: MI

seems like people are saying that they did get sued, its all kinda blury at this point, could someone please link us to information about the related lawsuits if there actually is any?

Rychan · Contributor Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Location: Castle Rock, CO

heavymaniac · Trick Member Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Location: MI

so if stepmania is legal, or at least still being allowed to download, why isnt stepmaniax? or is it just more rare because not that many people mod there xbox's?

Klayton_123 · Trick Member Joined: 21 Nov 2003

K.... Japanese mixes for consoles are SUPPOST to be only for Japan. But I have all of em cause of my mod chip. This is ILLEAGLE because of copyright and bull crap that america has. That is why you need a mod chip, because american consoles are made to only play NTFS not NTFS-J.

On the topic of Stepmania being illeagle.... If it was so illeagle why wasnt stepmania shut down from the start. They PROBABLY got permission from Konami to use all their songs.

Now... On the topic of stepmania being for fat people. I use my metal pad on stepmania, thats why there is a config key/joy option. It very well have been disigned for "Fat people" when it was first starting. highly doubt it though.
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heavymaniac · Trick Member Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Location: MI

answer me!

kamron_1 · Trick Member Joined: 15 Nov 2002 Location: YAY AREA

Nougatrocity · Trick Member Joined: 12 May 2002 Location: Somerville MA

kamron_1 · Trick Member Joined: 15 Nov 2002 Location: YAY AREA

lol, one month bump, but yes, CreenyNogat is right (and your name BTW makes me hungry). legally if you were to consider Stepmania a backup copy of your song (which is a streach to begin with), you'd have to make the backup yourself for it to be completely legal. the thing is, Stepmania isn't DDR, it's simply a simulator, which means that Konami could send a C&D order any time they'd like, but they don't, since in reality they don't mind.

Nintendo spells this out very clearly here
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Travelsonic · Trick Member Joined: 08 Oct 2005

Meh... Nintendo's site on the legality of emulators, and rom copiers is slightly misleading. There was a website that disproved some of the things said, but I can't find it (it was old).

Roms on the other hand: illegal mostly except for homebrewed and public domain. Sad and annoying but true.

paranoidmaxxmachine · Trick Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005

if stepmania becomes illegal, ill STILL play it :x
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Dansumthing · Trick Member Joined: 28 Nov 2005 Location: Germantown, WI

zaphod · Trick Member Joined: 23 Jan 2002 Location: Hayward, CA

God you people are silly sometimes.

That "authorized for use only in blah blah blah" is boilerplate slapped on every arcade game, and is basic CYA stuff. it's extra neccesary on DDR because of the fact that the liscenses that were accquired only permit usage in japan, and different people own the songs in the different countries. Konami has no problem with the legit games out there, but they officially can't support them, and must pretend it's not allowed to prevent attack from song copyright owners. This is also why they've actually placed such screens on their home versions, which is usually considered unneeded. the music issue. But again, they are wisely having a don't ask, don't tell policy here.

Bottom line is unles someone does something really silly and actually TELLS them about it, and the ddr machine is actually in a public establishment, then it may get removed. but as long as Konami doesn't know where it is, they don't care. And many places are private establishments, which is how people usually sidestep being sued over this.

Now lets see Stepmania. they are clearly violating patents, but because they themselves are not profiting, and not really hurting Konami any, they are being left alone. I suspect DanceTrax will liscense the ddr gameplay patents if konami wins the suit. A lot rides on the outcome of this suit. if those patents turn out to be enforceable, then Stepmania is illegal. It still will probably be ignored, but any commercial ventures using the patented gameplay elements will be attacked. If they turn out to be unenforceable, then it's open season.

CHangin the theme will not completely clear yourself of the gameplay patents. Neon FM changed enough thet they slipped by, but i suspect they didn't get all of the patents covered. Dancetrax is definitely as infirnging as stepmania is in this regard.
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Tsukasa_ · Basic Member Joined: 18 Apr 2006

I am going to assume for a few minutes several things about how you are viewing this forum.
1. You are using a computer to view this forum.
2. You are using some sort of internet browser to access this page.
3. You are accessing this browser using an operating system other than a Mac OS(Let me know if this is wrong for the majority of you.)

These 3 assumptions are where I will start my argument

3. Apple tried to sue Microsoft over the feel of the windowing operating system that they had "created." Apple failled and we are now stuck with the Windows' series operating systems. Also for the linux users x-windows or some other version of a windowing operating system or windowing fall under this category. This means that the feel of a software packege is not copywrited. Hell I even use a Mac OS theme on my Windows XP box

Therefore even if one software package behaves or appears similar to another software packege it is not violating any copywrite laws based on this precident.

(Due to the fact that 75% of most of the Windows OS is now blaintantly stolen in one form or another from one source or another (mostly IBM and several Linux items), I'd almost believe it's not wrong to steal code inorder to complete a project.)

2. Unless you are using the first version or a direct dirivative there of made by the initial programmer or programming company of Mozaic or a product creted under direct licence from either of those sources, your use of this browser constitutes the same issues that I used in the previous argument.

1. Well....I certainly am. And I'm not using an MITTS, the first personal computer. The same argument for software patents can be applied to hardware patents. It can be disgned to behave in a similar way to other hardware, but must not be identicle in design. Therefore we have so many legal supplers of the hardware that we can run StepMania and other DDR derivatives on. Personaly I use an AMD machine and enjoy playing StepMania using a PS2-USB addapter.

StepMainia copies the feel and look of DDR.
It, however, doesn't break the copyrite.

M3wThr33 · Trick Member Joined: 12 Mar 2003 Location: Redmond, WA

StepmaniaX is illegal because it needs to be compiled with the XDK, a stolen Developer Kit from Microsoft.

I can't say much about the rest, but rest assured, Stepmania and ITG aren't going anywhere.

Ryustarmine · Basic Member Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Location: Sacramento, CA

ohh so thats why it isnt illegal i get it now =)
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