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The downloading and distribution of ROMs in most jurisdictions is considered a violation of copyright laws, with the exception of ROMs licensed in the Public Domain or other licenses that allow distribution. This also applies to other copyrighted material such as BIOS files.
The legality of using encryption keys for emulators or accessing personal video collections is a debated topic. These keys, typically generated by random number algorithms, are not subject to copyright protection unlike creative content. In the realm of DVDs, Blu-rays, and HD DVDs, the question arises: should using open-source software to decode, watch, or back up your legally acquired video collection be restricted due to these non-copyrightable encryption keys? See the [[#Related_to_emulation|related to emulation]] section for the home media and home video realm.
There are even political parties, such as the [[Wikipedia:Pirate Party UK|Pirate Party UK]], whose core policies focus on reforming copyright and patent laws[https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/1bbn3bw/defending_emulation_rights_and_challenging/], supporting privacy, reducing government and business surveillance, and championing freedom of speech and expression.
