Emulation (Score 1)

Being somewhat of a newcomer to the emulation scene, I find myself at odds with the reasoning people are using when they attempt to justify ROM downloading of systems still on the active market (Nintendo 64 is the best example, though I could also mention the various Neo Geo games as well). Emulating these games for more than backup reasons is technically as illegal as copying a music CD for more than the use of the original owner(also illegal), but while it could also be considered illegal to do the same with ROMs of other systems that are out of date (8 bit nintendo, sega master system, various atari platforms), I do not see the reason why it should be so. These games fell off the market because they lost thier popularity and the company that owned the rights pulled production on them. My main question is this: Why are the IDSA and member companies interested in protecting the rights of software that no one in the world would actually PAY for? It is my humble opinion that most are really only worried that allowing old games to be emulated could set a precedent that would eventually lead to games being emulated and pirated as soon as they come out on the market, and I can see thier point of view. Don't get me wrong, I like retrogaming, but this new trend of emulating TODAYS systems will kill the entire emulation scene if it is not stopped soon. Ask yourself this: How will a company make any money if no one will buy any of thier games and how can we emulate games that the manufacturers cannot afford to even make in the first place?
I am willing to discuss the topic with anyone who is interested. My email account is [e-mail]. Tell me your opinion.