Emulation = Prison? NOT promoting piracy just wondering.

[Rayce Archer]

It is legal to own Roms in the following ways, without question:
-You have legally purchased the physical media containing the rom, be it a cartridge or a whole arcade cabinet
-You have been legally sold the rom by its license-holder

Really depends on where you live. If I recall correctly, in the EU it depends on the manner obtained if it's legal or not. Ripped your own copy and kept it to yourself for personal use only? Fine. Downloaded/copied it from elsewhere? Illegal.

Yeah, I should have made it clear that I live in the US and am speaking to US law. The EU is much more lenient on backups and such. Although in this case I mean "own the rom" ON that physical media. So if you buy Duck Hunt you now own the Duck Hunt rom, on the Duck Hunt cartridge. If THAT becomes legally debatable, I'm moving to China.

Note that without backups things like arcade cabinet repair become all but impossible so every arcade machine service shop is a little slice of everybody-look-the-other-way too.

 

[Rayce Archer]

It seems like "I don't support piracy/emulation but __________" is just a "get out of jail free" card.

Yes that's the point. It's like saying "I'm not a murderer but how does this state punish murderers?" A perfectly legit curiosity.