Is it stealing to pirate a game you own physicaly but cant install

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isnosche

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Oct 4, 2010
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Pandaman1911 said:
Piracy is piracy, it doesn't matter why you're doing it. In the eyes of the law, it's wrong, and that's all that really matters. I don't see anything wrong with it, but the judge will.
correct, however he's legaly not pirating a game :)
 

xdiesp

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Oct 21, 2007
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I'm ready to bet whatever you want on this: in some years, it will be legally considered theft not to buy something the corporations want you to.

"Why haven't you got an i-Spine? You are keeping that money irresponsibly away from us. Thief!"
 

Pyro Paul

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Dec 7, 2007
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Pandaman1911 said:
Piracy is piracy, it doesn't matter why you're doing it. In the eyes of the law, it's wrong, and that's all that really matters. I don't see anything wrong with it, but the judge will.
i don't think you know what 'Piracy' Means.
in so many words, Piracy means Copyright Infringement...
not the act of downloading Copyrighted content off of the internet.

If you own the copyrighted item you acctually have the right to obtain a digital/electronic copy of that item through any means you think nessary. That includes downloading it off of a P2P server or Torrent.

The act of doing this is Not Illegal.
There for the Judge will be hard pressed to find ANYTHING wrong with it.
 

isnosche

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Eico said:
Yes, it is.

Piracy means attaining a digital copy of a game without paying. Period. Owning it has nothing to do with it.

Is it wrong? I don't care. Is it piracy? Yes.


See pyro paul above ...
 

Staskala

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Sep 28, 2010
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It at least depends on how you download it.

When you download a game via P2P file sharing, you cannot do so without uploading content, no matter how much you try to circumvent it.
Therefore "downloading" a game is illegal even if you own the product/license.

If you use DDL, you're in the situation described on the last 7 pages.

I'd say it is legal but I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to the finer aspects of American copyright law, so make of that what you will.
 

isnosche

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Staskala said:
It at least depends on how you download it.

When you download a game via P2P file sharing, you cannot do so without uploading content, no matter how much you try to circumvent it.
Therefore "downloading" a game is illegal even if you own the product/license.

If you use DDL, you're in the situation described on the last 7 pages.

I'd say it is legal but I'm not exactly an expert on American copyright law, so make of that what you will.
Not exactly, p2p sharing by itself is not illigal.

For example
i could post a copy iso online on rapidshare or a p2p network and you also owns a copy of that game.
Nothing is done illigal.

I'm just giving you a way to obtain a Digital version of your game.

Now if i charged for this service, then i'd be in a world of hurt
 

Mace Tulio

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Feb 5, 2011
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This, like many people have said, is a grey area.

Personally, I think in the OP's case, it's okay. You own a copy of the game, and a technical issue prevents you from utilising your owned copy. No doubt, when your gaming computer is fixed you'll use the legal copy.

However, if you 'lose' your copy of a game (which has been brought up several times) then download a pirated version it becomes more lucrative. You owned the game and through your own actions came to no longer own the game. I'm still not saying that it's completely wrong, but this, for me, is where the lines start to blur.
 

Heart of Darkness

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Jul 1, 2009
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No, it's still piracy. The only way you're allowed to have a digital backup is if you make one yourself. Taking it off a P2P server of torrent site is still considered copyright infringement, regardless of your owning a physical copy or not.
 

Pyro Paul

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Eico said:
Yes, it is.

Piracy means attaining a digital copy of a game without paying. Period. Owning it has nothing to do with it.

Is it wrong? I don't care. Is it piracy? Yes.
Really?
no, Piracy is Copy Right Infringment.

the word was used to Demonize people who where manufacturing things that they copied off of a bigger industry and sold at lower prices in the 1600s and thus undercutting larger industries. they effectively titled these small up start companies as nothing more then Brigands and Cutpurses (pirate acctually is latin/greek for Brigand).

with the establishment of copyright in the 1700s the word was then used to identify the act of Copy Right Infringment by copyright holders.

in modern times, it has been used to identify Copyright Infringement through online mediums.



but all that aside.
How am i violating copyright laws when i already own a copy and i am entitled a digital copy through the EULA agreement provided with the product? EULA and ToS doesn't specifically state how i should obtain this digital copy...
and P2P torrents are Not acctually an illegal act...

so how would i be pirating?
 

Nazz3

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Sep 11, 2009
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Veldie said:
Recently my gaming computer broke down so im forced to use a netbook my mom lent me now what I am wondering is if it is considered stealing if I own the game example Gothic 1 but becouse the netbook lacks a disc drive I cant install and play it like normal so is it bad to get a online copy for a game I legitedly own?



I dont support piracy or theaft and such so this is why I am asking if this kinda question is against rules then sorry in advance.
Well piracy never was stealing. Morally doing that is right though. And if you're just downloading the game files and still using the original serial key then its legal too.
 

CJ1145

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Jan 6, 2009
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Wow, it saddens me to see a thread to so very much deserves a poll, not have one.

I'm kind of split on this. On the one hand the law would likely frown upon your "pirating", but on the other you've already lawfully purchased the game, and if for some reason other than your own stupidity it doesn't work, you should be able to bug the company for a new copy of your purchase. If they will not provide it, I don't see what's wrong in going to other sources to obtain it.
 

Staskala

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Sep 28, 2010
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isnosche said:
Staskala said:
It at least depends on how you download it.

When you download a game via P2P file sharing, you cannot do so without uploading content, no matter how much you try to circumvent it.
Therefore "downloading" a game is illegal even if you own the product/license.

If you use DDL, you're in the situation described on the last 7 pages.

I'd say it is legal but I'm not exactly an expert on American copyright law, so make of that what you will.
Not exactly, p2p sharing by itself is not illigal.

For example
i could post a copy iso online on rapidshare or a p2p network and you also owns a copy of that game.
Nothing is done illigal.

I'm just giving you a way to obtain a Digital version of your game.

Now if i charged for this service, then i'd be in a world of hurt
rapidshare is DDL.

Of course it would be technically not illegal if everyone involved owned the game, but that's not a very realistic scenario.
But then again, we are talking about a hypothetical scenario, so I should have clarified.
 

Pyro Paul

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Heart of Darkness said:
No, it's still piracy. The only way you're allowed to have a digital backup is if you make one yourself. Taking it off a P2P server of torrent site is still considered copyright infringement, regardless of your owning a physical copy or not.
acctually this is some what of an intresting point...

Arguably no...

DMCA section 117 section a.
...It is not an infringement for the owner of a copy of a computer program to make or authorize the making of another copy or adaptation.

through the Digital Melennium Copyright Act, you legally CAN obtain off of a P2P or Torrent as you tangently authorize the person(s) you are getting the information from to produce another copy for you.

But again, another Very Grey area because of how vauge the law itself is written.
 

ultimateownage

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Feb 11, 2009
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Pyro Paul said:
ultimateownage said:
Pyro Paul said:
ultimateownage said:
Would it be wrong to find that your copy of a PC game is broken, so you go and steal another copy from the same store you bought it from? Even if you give it back later?
Yes. you're stealing a Box and a Plastic CD.
the Data on the CD you already own so you're not stealing it.

again, Digital Mellineium Copyright Act section 117.
Yes, but if you return it in the same condition you took it and used it just to install the game is that not the same thing?
... No.
it is not.

Theft is the Act of taking something that doesn't belong to you.
Returning it after words does not remove the fact that you stole it.

You Stole a Plastic Case and CD.

regardless if you have the content on the CD or Not... you stole something from that establishment.
And that's where this becomes a grey area. If they get it back in the same condition, even if stolen before, is of no concern to them but still illegal to do. So is downloading a new copy, it is of no concern to them because you already bought it but it is nonetheless still illegal. 'Borrowing' without consent is illegal, no matter how inconsequential it is.
 

SenseOfTumour

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Jul 11, 2008
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To me , it's very simple, the industry chose to sell us the right to use the information in limited ways.

If however, they'd been like every other industry, and just SOLD us something, then I'd say you'd need to go and buy a digital copy.

However, as you've not bought a copy, but paid for the rights to use the software on the disc, I think you have the rights to use a copy of that software.

Even if it was illegal in some way, morally you are 100% in the clear. You've paid for it, you should be able to play it. It's not like the makers of Gothic will get a cut if you go and buy an external DVD drive to play the disc.
 

Staskala

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Sep 28, 2010
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Joseph Wood said:
EDIT: Wow 95-120 years for copyright, is that just video games? I know literature is 70 years after the creator's death.
70 years after death if it was your own work, 95 (after publication) or 120 (after creation) if it was a contract.
So if you write a book the copyright expires after 70 years, but if you were hired to make a video game for publisher X it expires 95 years after publication.
The 120 year mark only applies if it would be shorter than 95 years, i.e. if you made the game but the publisher only decided to publish it 26 years after creation.
 

Frankster

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Mar 13, 2009
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I'm normally very anti pirate (games are a luxury, not a neccesity) but in this case I feel there is no reason to feel guilty.

If you were to be asked if you own a copy of the things you downloaded, can you honestly answer yes?
Yup you can, so nothing to feel guilty about, if anything this is a textbook example of a legit use of downloading software in my eyes.
 

SirDerick

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Nov 9, 2009
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Once you own a piece of software, you can legally make as many copies of said software as you wish.
You're just not allowed to give out said copies to anyone else.