The Nerd Herd Retro Gaming System Policy
 
Introduction
The Nerd Herd is a volunteer-led, not-for-profit charity dedicated to providing access to technology through various services such as subsidised laptops, repairs, and gaming PCs. Additionally, The Nerd Herd is committed to restoring historic media such as VHS tapes, cine film, and camcorder tapes. We emphasize the principles of reuse, reduce, and recycle, and are dedicated to the preservation of historic computing devices. Furthermore, we actively promote STEM education within our community. We are excited to introduce our retro gaming system, which emulates various classic gaming platforms. This document outlines the policy regarding the use of ROMs (Read-Only Memory files) with our retro gaming system.
 
Legal Disclaimer
Due to legal restrictions, The Nerd Herd cannot include or distribute ROMs that are not in the public domain with our retro gaming systems. Users are solely responsible for ensuring that they have the legal right to use any ROMs they add to the system.

 
Beta Units
A small number of beta devices will be made available for testing purposes and will be available for purchase upon application to The Nerd Herd. By participating in the beta testing program, users agree to the following terms:
Users must sign a disclaimer acknowledging their understanding of the legal restrictions surrounding ROMs.
Users agree not to use ROMs they do not legally own for purposes other than testing the systems – a full complement of ROMs will be included for testing purposes only.
It is the beta tester's responsibility to remove unlicensed ROMs at the end of the test period if they wish to continue using the unit.
The Nerd Herd will not be held liable for any illegal use of ROMs by beta testers.

 
Retail Units
Retail units of the retro gaming system will include a small selection of public domain ROMs. Users can add their own ROMs to the system, but they are entirely responsible for ensuring they have the legal rights to any ROMs they use. By purchasing and using the retail unit, users agree to the following terms:
Users acknowledge and accept that they are responsible for the legality of the ROMs they add to the system.
The Nerd Herd will not be held responsible for any legal issues arising from the use of ROMs that users do not own.
Users agree to comply with all relevant laws and regulations regarding the use of ROMs.
 
Public Domain ROMs
The Nerd Herd will include a selection of public domain ROMs with each retail unit. Public domain ROMs are games that have been explicitly placed in the public domain by their creators or are old enough that they are no longer under copyright protection. These ROMs are legally free to use and distribute.
 
Adding Your Own ROMs
Users can add their own ROMs to the retro gaming system. To do so, follow these steps:
Ensure you have the legal right to use the ROM.
Transfer the ROM file to the retro gaming system following the instructions provided in the instruction sheets.
Verify that the ROM functions correctly within the system.
 
Compliance and Enforcement
The Nerd Herd reserves the right to take appropriate action if we discover that our systems are being used with illegal ROMs. This includes but is not limited to:
Removing support for specific users who violate the policy.
Removing any associated user accounts.
 
 
We appreciate your cooperation in adhering to this policy. By following these guidelines, you help ensure that The Nerd Herd can continue to provide valuable services and technology access to the community.
For any questions or further information, please contact us at moo@tnh.org.uk