Pirating = Stealing

Rekarp · Post by **Rekarp** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:06 pm

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/13/world ... racy-rate/

Sure 90% may be a bit exaggerated doesn't take away the fact that Pirates are STEALING from developers.

Don't give me any sh!t you !@#$ing pirates about how you justify stealing software. Stealing is stealing and that is that.

Common responses from pirates and my response.

"I can't afford the game so I pirate it."

If you can't afford it then tough sh!tt. Maybe you shouldn't be playing games if you can't afford it.

"It is not worth the $XX to play the game."

If it is not worth the money then it is not worth the time to play.

"I wasn't going to buy the game anyways."

You are not entitled to play it if you are not going to buy it. This comment is the biggest cop out anyone can say. Its like saying "Well your stupid" in a argument.

"Well I won't buy it if theres DRM."

HMMM why is there DRM? Maybe cause companies don't want you to steal there HARD WORK. What came first? DRM or Piracy? Piracy. How do you get rid of DRM? By not stealing.

"I will buy it after I make sure its worth my money first."

You know I used to believe this. But i doubt anyone actually goes back and buys the game after they have stolen it.

"Pirating does not effect sales"

Bullsh!t on epic levels. I know plenty of people that have the means and want to play the game but pirate it cause it is free.

You know why more and more developers are stopping there support for the PC platform? !@#$ing Pirates. I see a future of gaming. On propriety platforms (consoles) that are encased in solid high temp epoxy.

Think of it this way. Do you really want someone to steal your car?, paycheck?, computer?, kidney?.

Squalid · Post by **Squalid** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:44 pm

Yup i steal.

I also steal from old ladies, small childern and giant hippos.

I know its bad, but i also buy games/dvds/cds too.

oh wait/

themadhacker · Post by **themadhacker** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:57 pm

I had a copy of sonic and knuckles collection for pc. I made a backup copy of it so that If one broke I still had the other. Is that illegal?

Negative_Creep · Post by **Negative_Creep** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:07 pm

themadhacker wrote:I had a copy of sonic and knuckles collection for pc. I made a backup copy of it so that If one broke I still had the other. Is that illegal?

Yeah it is, that should be an incentive to stop doing it.

hailrazer · Post by **hailrazer** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:08 pm

themadhacker wrote:I had a copy of sonic and knuckles collection for pc. I made a backup copy of it so that If one broke I still had the other. Is that illegal?

Illegal yes, immoral or unethical or even wrong... No.

Something being legal or not legal has nothing to do with it actually being ethically or morally right or wrong.

But that's not what Rekarp is here discussing.

Yes pirating is stealing plain and simple.

Now if we are talking about games no longer in production or no longer being sold by the developer or owner then I have a different opinion.

Post by **bicostp** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:11 pm

That's what I like about Steam; You get the instant gratification of downloading, there's no DRM (not even on TrackMania, whose retail versions come with the notorious StarForce encryption), you're allowed to install the game on as many computers as you want (provided you only log in with one at a time), and the developers stay happy because they get their cash. (Sometimes more cash than retail copies, since they don't have to pay for shipping, packaging, making the discs...) Plus if you want to remove it from one PC, and change your mind later on, you can reinstall it for free.

If a game is good, I don't see why paying $20-$40 for it is a big deal. If I don't think it's worth the current price, I wait for it to come on sale. Or if I want to try a game before I buy it, I download the demo. (Yes they still make demos, though I wish it was a more widespread practice.)

However, music purchased through iTunes gets the 'burn & rip' treatment, because I want to keep it on my desktop, laptop, HTPC, and iPod without having to worry about licensing them all through iTunes. I don't see anything wrong with that, because I already bought the song legitimately and I'm not giving the copies to anyone. (Hey, both Media Player and iTunes have built-in functions for ripping store-bought CDs, how is this any different?)

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:12 pm

I apply this logic to movies:

Stop going to the bad ones, and they'll stop making them. If I like the movie, I'll see it again and pay for it.

Some games have replay value, and for that I'd buy them.

But tell me you wouldn't pirate Half-Life, the original box set, because it's not in stores, but you wanted to play the series from the beginning. I admit I never bought anything HL-2, but I did buy counterstrike, as it was worth buying and keeping for future generations to play as well.

grossaffe · Post by **grossaffe** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:13 pm

Pirating is not quite the same as stealing, but that does not mean I endorse it. the analogy of someone stealing your car is inaccurate because pirating software does not remove the original from the owner. If someone steals my car, I am without a car. If someone steals my software... well that just means they won't be buying my software. still sucks, but not the same as stealing hard object.

Tibia · Post by **Tibia** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:16 pm

The only piracy I'm guilty of involves blockading and raiding peoples' boats. lol

Arrow--> · Post by **Arrow-->** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:17 pm

themadhacker and I knew someone who made tons of pirated DC and PC games (we didn't encourge him)

themadhacker · Post by **themadhacker** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:31 pm

Arrow--> wrote:themadhacker and I knew someone who made tons of pirated DC and PC games (we didn't encourge him)

Ah, yes, I remember who you are talking about! The only actual dreamcast games he had were the sonics and evolution.

MrTroy · Post by **MrTroy** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:35 pm

Rekarp

Are you talking about Pirating in general? Or pirating games that are currently on the market. Cause there is a big difference between what everyone calls pirating.

tom61 · Post by **tom61** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 4:00 pm

themadhacker wrote:I had a copy of sonic and knuckles collection for pc. I made a backup copy of it so that If one broke I still had the other. Is that illegal?

No, it isn't, so long as you don't loan or sell the copy separate from the original. There's actually a law on the books explicitly allowing backups of computer software in the US. It's superseded by the DMCA if the game has copy protection, which I don't believe that Sonic and Knuckles Collection has any, so you should be OK.

hailrazer · Post by **hailrazer** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 4:07 pm

tom61 wrote:
themadhacker wrote:I had a copy of sonic and knuckles collection for pc. I made a backup copy of it so that If one broke I still had the other. Is that illegal?
No, it isn't, so long as you don't loan or sell the copy separate from the original. There's actually a law on the books explicitly allowing backups of computer software in the US. It's superseded by the DMCA if the game has copy protection, which I don't believe that Sonic and Knuckles Collection has any, so you should be OK.

First time I have ever heard of that. A link please....

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 4:08 pm

Developers don't make any money when you buy second hand software, however that isn't piracy. This is why, if you wait for several months or a few years for a game, you can get it for about 10% of its original price at car boot sales or e-bay; original and complete and legit.