But the new rules don’t apply to online multiplayer games.



It’s now legal in the US to circumvent a video game’s DRM provided the server for the game has closed down.

Unfortunately, it’s still not legal to do so for any game that has only lost its online multiplayer features after server closure.

That’s according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which has been campaigning to the Library of Congress to change DRM laws it sees as out of date and user unfriendly.

“The Librarian granted part of EFF’s new proposal for an exemption to preserve abandoned video games,” wrote the EFF after the publication of new rules by the Library of Congress.

“The new exemption allows players to modify their copy of a game to eliminate the need for an authentication server after the original server is shut down. Museums, libraries, and archives can go a step further and jailbreak game consoles as needed to get the games working again.

“Disappointingly, the Librarian limited the exemption to games that can’t be played at all after a server shutdown, excluding games where only the online multiplayer features are lost. Still, this exemption will help keep many classic and beloved video games playable by future generations.”

Image credit.