The Internet Archive has faced legal pressure over book lending (the Hachette v. Internet Archive case), and that ruling could set a precedent for software. If the courts decide that controlled digital lending doesn’t apply to ROMs, the Archive may be forced to delete terabytes of gaming history.
Here is where it gets complicated. Copyright law typically protects video games for from publication (in the US). Most classic games from the 80s and 90s are still under active copyright. internet archive roms
For now, the collections remain—a messy, wonderful, legally dubious testament to the idea that culture should not be lost to time. The Internet Archive has faced legal pressure over
