News - Game Pirates check your post! UK publishers sending out 25,000 letters demandi

[HEXUS]

5 game publishers are sending out demands for compensation to 25,000 people in the UK suspected of downloading games illegally.

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[chuckskull]

"suspected"

No-one else expecting 25,000 return letters simply saying "Prove it".

[teh_masterer]

I don't quite understand the £300 fine. If, for example you have pirated 1 game from 1 of the developers, a £300 is really high. When some people may have pirated many of their games, maybe even redistrobuting them and get the same fine.

[Daydreamer]

Well firstly pirating games is theft so it should be stopped, but I am concerned about how casually companies are throwing about fines etc

Piracy has a negative effect on the games industry and should be stopped and deterred but 25,000 ppl in one swoop?, as said by some dude from zd.net on the news anyone can log on to your home network and use it to illegally download or upload, regardlesso f who is committing the crime it is the person who holds the account that is punishable.

[danroyle]

I don't quite understand the £300 fine. If, for example you have pirated 1 game from 1 of the developers, a £300 is really high. When some people may have pirated many of their games, maybe even redistrobuting them and get the same fine.

if you have done one or one hundred doesn't really matter does it.

your still GUILTY

[dave87]

Well firstly pirating games is theft

It isn't.

A crucial part of the legal definition of theft is to deprive another of the use of the item/good/service etc.

So if you stole a boxed copy, which someone had already bought, it would be theft. If you copied a game without a keycode protection mechanism (effectively the digital version of the box) then it isn't theft. It is a civil, rather than criminal matter.

What Hollywood and the Games publishers want everyone to do is put it on the same level as theft, without the standard of proof which would be required for a criminal conviction through the court system.

[TheBloodyNine]

if you have done one or one hundred doesn't really matter does it.

your still GUILTY

However there should be scales of guilt for this.

Is it really fair that someone for downloaded dream pinball once is fined the same as some one who downloads everything makes copies and sells them on the local market making £300 a week?

[Daydreamer]

It isn't.

So if you stole a boxed copy, which someone had already bought, it would be theft. If you copied a game without a keycode protection mechanism (effectively the digital version of the box) then it isn't theft. It is a civil, rather than criminal matter.

But downloaded games do have keycode protection, pl simply use keygens or serials. That's why many companies are opting for online activation.

[dave87]

I'm simply referring to the theoretical argument that copying games is theft, something which is, as yet, untested in a court of law. Very few companies seem to be willing to take that risk.

[The Jambo]

if you have done one or one hundred doesn't really matter does it.

your still GUILTY

I think you're missing the point.

[Daydreamer]

I'm simply referring to the theoretical argument that copying games is theft, something which is, as yet, untested in a court of law. Very few companies seem to be willing to take that risk.

Yes it's amazing that this action is not being taken by a big company like EA. It seems that the games industry has lost it's patience with pirates

[Rob_B]

It seems that the games industry has lost it's patience with pirates

Yaaaaar! Yo-ho-ho & all that jazz!

I think plenty will be returned with the 'prove it' statement as mentioned.

What would they do if you send a picture of the original cd/case of the game you 'supposedly' downloaded with a copy of their letter and stated you already owned the game so how is downloading a copy theft? (whole can of worms opened there!)

[danroyle]

I think you're missing the point.

and what point is that then.

so it's less bad to steal a couple of games

ooh maybe i can go out and murder a couple of people cos after all i wont have killed as many people as charles manson or saddam so it's ok.

i save up my hard earned money to buy my games and most of my friends who sit around all day on benefits getting more money than we earn download just about every game they want with no repurcussions.

[MadduckUK]

and what point is that then.

so it's less bad to steal a couple of games

ooh maybe i can go out and murder a couple of people cos after all i wont have killed as many people as charles manson or saddam so it's ok.

nope.. your definitely missing the point

[NightshadowUK]

What would they do if you send a picture of the original cd/case of the game you 'supposedly' downloaded with a copy of their letter and stated you already owned the game so how is downloading a copy theft?

That's the very first thing I thought, "I already own it, look"...

[danroyle]

nope.. your definitely missing the point

do explain the point then