I think any redistribution of any material without royalities being paid to the owner(s) or creators of said material is morally wrong, but ok with exceptions.
I would be ok with the distribution of old school systems and games which no one can attain in physical form any longer or without a great search or expense. Even then, you are not guranteed an unopened package.
I myself own a Sega CD, but I bought it shortly before it was discontinued. I only have several games and there are more I would have wanted. While I collected the ones I wanted most while the games were still available, my collection doesn't feel nearly as complete as it could be.
Now, since I have purchased the system and have purchased games for the system, I would not consider using an emulator wrong, as I have paid dividends to Sega of America Inc., and Sega of Japan Inc. This includes the staff, the programmers, the artists, etc. I have paid my dues to them and was a loyal customer of Sega. This would be an exception I would personally make, as I do not feel it is a moral issue for me. I don't have any emulators though and don't plan to. I'm sort of falling out of video games anyway. They don't amuse me nearly as much as they used to.
What would be illegal and immoral would be for me to go willy-nilly and download entire systems' worth of games I never intended to purchase. Thats wrong in the sense of the word. 'Wrong' means different things to different people, but strictly from a technical standpoint it is wrong no matter how you slice it.
This goes for music cds, and pretty much everything you could think of.
Some people don't see this as wrong because theres no physicality to it at all. Its all virtual and that creates a false sense of well-being, clean hands, proper activity, and clean consciences. Its still wrong then, and I suspect many people think twice before they do this, its their conscience talking. After doing this for some time though I'd imagine some people wouldn't care, as theres no one to stop them, and clearly no reprocussions as there would be in reality. If you steal and get caught in a store, something happens to you. Here, nothing, unless you are being watched by the online authorities (those that are watched are primarily the distributors, as cutting them off cuts everyone else off as well).
Another technicality- video rental stores.
Believe it or not, but what they are doing is somewhat illegal as well but is justified through a legal loophole. While the movie or game gets it's name out there faster as people rent it, the profits go to sustain the business, not the owners and creators. Its almost like pimping a video game or movie. You're putting it out there for people to rent. No one benefits from this transaction but the store and like a pimp, the store will come after you if you don't pay up or your rented material is overdo. They have no right to do this to begin with morally, but legally they can.
Heres one way I look at it personally-
I love the Corrs. Absolutely love them. I have all their cds, and their music videos.
Now, if I were to download complete songs without intentions of purchasing their album, I'd feel like I was stealing directly from Andrea, Caroline, Sharon, Jim, and even their lead guitarists Andrew and Keith, and everyone that plays a part in making the Corrs happen.
This would be a personal foul for me.
Now, if I was merely downloading a short sample of the song because I wanted to know whether it was worth it or not (and it is) then its ok. Its ok because I am a fan, and I am a contributor to them and their music. In a very small way, I put food in their mouths and clothes on their back....their sexy...beautiful....all natural backs... I'm not shortchanging them then by downloading a sample song legitimately for the legitimate reason and intention of making a purchase if I'm impressed. Its legitimate for retail stores to provide samples, as well as some websites so long as they working within the law in doing so.
Though, in my case, I buy everything of theirs without the need to sample it. So this hypothetical situation wouldn't apply to me. :happy:
Sites get closed because of this (illegal distribution that is), no matter what they are hand-pandling around. So its definitely illegal. That much is clear. Whether it is a moral issue is up to the individual and their particular circumstance. Though I'm guessing most people don't care as this is an ungoing problem with no end in sight.
