But isn't the decision of whether to let old games rot or to give them new life and potentially monetize it a decision of the property owner? Why should somebody else decide for them?
They only own the copyright for the fixed term of copyright law. So in that sense, you could compare them to 'renters' as their rights will expire. Why should the public be unable to preserve what will become it's common property?
And yes, I'm aware that there are a few unusual legal constructions, such as the copyright on Peter Pan which do not expire. These are relatively few in number and outside the scope of the concern here. I don't think any video games have such a copyright, anyhow. That said, I can see legal efforts to abolish the constitutionally-established limited term of copyright.
