Need some piracy advice....

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Clearly, actively stealing money from others is comparable to pirating 6 GBs of data. I mean, who couldnt see it? Its pretty much the same thing, right?

Yes, depending on how you view piracy, it would be the same exact thing.

Some people define it as: I'm making a copy of this, not stealing
Other people define it as: You're directly stealing from a developer

Again, I'm not going to get into the ethics of piracy. I put in that example because I'm guessing the OP is going to get the reaction that most have already stated: "Why would you do that to your friend!?". I'm guessing that the OP feels that piracy IS stealing (EDIT: OP confirmed this after I posted this) and I'm putting this down at the beginning of the thread to try to assist the shit-storm that is surely coming (hell, it's already here. My post has probably done nothing to stop the tide).

Well in that case, the OP is still wrong. Piracy is copyright infringement, not theft. They're two very different things.

Edit: By the way, I don't see anyone in this thread who is innocent of copyright infringement. Look on the left hand side of the screen. See those pictures? See how they're all images of copyrighted things/images made by people other than the user (and therefore copyrighted by someone else)? Congratulations, we're all thieves.

 

[Baldr]

If you are playing a game, that means you deem it worth value. If your not paying for it, basically your an asshole(and a thief). There are plenty of ways to play games and not pay very much for it especially in the United States... Redbox, Blockbuster, GameFly, OnLive, Gaikai, Steam, all these services offer some demos and or really cheap rental.

 

[bfgmetalhead]

Ya know, I can understand distaste of his position, but you'd really do that to a friend of yours?

Alright, I'm going to hop up on my soap box for a few seconds. You don't have to agree with me but this is how I see it...

Piracy is bad, I think most of us can agree on that (or if you don't, you're probably not here on this forum since Mods have made the sites stance pretty damn clear).

Now, if someone was on welfare who shouldn't be, friend or not, would you report them? If someone is running an insurance scam, would you report them? If someone was skimming a bit of money off of bank transactions (think Office Space), would you report them?

I use those as examples because they're all examples of someone taking money from someone. Maybe you would report your friend and maybe you wouldn't but I'm thinking that THIS is where the OP is coming from. I'd be surprised if he was doing it for shits and giggles...

*EDIT: Note; I purposefully did not state what I thought about the issue. I'm merely thinking about how the OP is seeing the situation (though if I'm wrong, feel free to correct me OP)

Your pretty much right the fact is, like I said he will keep doing it now and in the long run will either get caught and face worse repercuisions or just prove piracy is a way to get free games for no risk and laugh in my face about it. I just need to scare him into stopping is all. I am not doing this out of spite.

How will he face worse repercussions? He gets caught, he gets caught. I don't think that pirating 10 more games will cause much of a difference.

And even mentioning the laughing in your face bit does make it sound out of spite partially.

Why don't you just, I dunno, send him a fake e-mail from Bethesda or the FBI telling him to
stop if you just want to scare him.

He is quite arrogant thats why he would laugh in my face about it. Although the fake email idea is pretty clever actually... Thanks for being polite though unlike some other people..

 

[bfgmetalhead]

Clearly, actively stealing money from others is comparable to pirating 6 GBs of data. I mean, who couldnt see it? Its pretty much the same thing, right?

Yes, depending on how you view piracy, it would be the same exact thing.

Some people define it as: I'm making a copy of this, not stealing
Other people define it as: You're directly stealing from a developer

Again, I'm not going to get into the ethics of piracy. I put in that example because I'm guessing the OP is going to get the reaction that most have already stated: "Why would you do that to your friend!?". I'm guessing that the OP feels that piracy IS stealing (EDIT: OP confirmed this after I posted this) and I'm putting this down at the beginning of the thread to try to assist the shit-storm that is surely coming (hell, it's already here. My post has probably done nothing to stop the tide).

Well in that case, the OP is still wrong. Piracy is copyright infringement, not theft. They're two very different things.

your right but he is still using content that Bethesda created without paying for it. Yes it's not the end of the world but I would'nt like it if I made somthing and then someone just took it and did'nt care. I know another guy who pirates games from Biowear but he hates EA so he sends the price of the game to biowear as a donation after he pirates it. This I am more happy with. Thats my general opinion kk .

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Clearly, actively stealing money from others is comparable to pirating 6 GBs of data. I mean, who couldnt see it? Its pretty much the same thing, right?

Yes, depending on how you view piracy, it would be the same exact thing.

Some people define it as: I'm making a copy of this, not stealing
Other people define it as: You're directly stealing from a developer

Again, I'm not going to get into the ethics of piracy. I put in that example because I'm guessing the OP is going to get the reaction that most have already stated: "Why would you do that to your friend!?". I'm guessing that the OP feels that piracy IS stealing (EDIT: OP confirmed this after I posted this) and I'm putting this down at the beginning of the thread to try to assist the shit-storm that is surely coming (hell, it's already here. My post has probably done nothing to stop the tide).

Well in that case, the OP is still wrong. Piracy is copyright infringement, not theft. They're two very different things.

your right but he is still using content that Bethesda created without paying for it. Yes it's not the end of the world but I would'nt like it if I made somthing and then someone just took it and did'nt care. I know another guy who pirates games from Biowear but he hates EA so he sends the price of the game to biowear as a donation after he pirates it. This I am more happy with. Thats my general opinion kk .

Let me say this again:

OP, I have to ask you: have you ever watched a youtube video that wasn't uploaded by the copyright owner? Ever listened to a song on youtube that wasn't part of an official channel? Ever downloaded a song, movie, or TV show? Ever used an image you didn't have explicit permission to use(hint: if you didn't personally make your avatar, you've definitely done that one)? Then you need to stop complaining about your friend, because you are literally just as much of a lawbreaker as he is. Modern copyright law is fundamentally broken. There's no need to ever get high and mighty about it like this.

Stones in glass houses, man.

 

[DoPo]

He is quite arrogant thats why he would laugh in my face about it. Although the fake email idea is pretty clever actually... Thanks for being polite though unlike some other people..

Technically, a fake email is extremely easy to do. But...let me make this as explicit as possible: faking an email can totally get you sued! Depending on where you are, you can face even worse repercussions.

 

[Zhukov]

You'd seriously report a friend for bloody copyright violation?

Wow.

That's... yeah... wow.

Oh hey, don't forget to report your girlfriend for that one time when her parking meter ran out. Then you can report your brother for public littering when the beer can missed the bin. Then you should cap it all off by turning yourself in for watching a movie clip on Youtube.

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

I don't think you're a jerk, bfqmetalhead. And I think you've raised a difficult question. I don't know what you should do, but if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't involve myself officially. The benefit to society seems negligible. Worry about your friend instead. If I were you, I would try to convince my friend, even if this is a very long term prospect and even if it never works. You don't have to stage an intervention or get up on a soapbox. Just being around you when he knows how you feel about piracy will influence his decision making. I would only think about involving the authorities if there were a more serious and direct threat to society or individuals. Perhaps selling pirated material would be such a threat.

 

[Rumpsteak]

Being torn between conscience and relations is no fun position to be in however I don't think setting a well paid legal team on the poor guy is the right way to go about it. If you feel you have to do something how about just bringing up that he has no right to an opinion any time he complains about something no matter how small. That or randomly delete his saves.

 

[him over there]

The thing is piracy as a whole is a massive problem, yet a single act is a less substantial offence. Sure what he did is wrong but he could end up paying thousands of dollars if you report him, that is if you aren't ignored entirely. Doing this won't stop piracy, it won't bring your friend to a moral epiphany, it won't even serve as a warning to other pirates. The world doesn't have time to handle the millions of acts of piracy in this world, you are essentially ruining your friend and only your friend over something wrong and illegal but pretty insubstantial. Tell your friend why it's wrong and if he doesn't care then, well he's a jerk.

 

[Esotera]

My suggestion is that you're going to massively regret this if he actually gets fined for this, and he's probably going to guess it was you. That's on the off-chance that anyone can gather
enough evidence to make a pay-up-or-else letter.

He doesn't sound like he's that important a friend to you if you're willing to rat him out for pirating a game that costs about £20, so do whatever.

 

[Savagezion]

Have you ever borrowed a game from a friend OP?

 

[Gamergeek25]

They way I see it is that bgqmetalhead has tried to be reasonable. He tried all methods that he believes would work, but rather not see his friend copyright infirngement on another companies hard work. and rooster brought up a good point. But the underlining question is this How can consumers stop others from pirating before we destroy their lifes with a several hundrede dollar fine and possibly years in prison.

 

[Total LOLige]

I don't think you should report your friend for piracy lots of people do it, probably a lot of your friends do it they just won't tell you possibly because you'd report them. I think it'd be your duty to report him if he was downloading child pornography.

 

[bfgmetalhead]

I don't think you're a jerk, bfqmetalhead. And I think you've raised a difficult question. I don't know what you should do, but if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't involve myself officially. The benefit to society seems negligible. Worry about your friend instead. If I were you, I would try to convince my friend, even if this is a very long term prospect and even if it never works. You don't have to stage an intervention or get up on a soapbox. Just being around you when he knows how you feel about piracy will influence his decision making. I would only think about involving the authorities if there were a more serious and direct threat to society or individuals. Perhaps selling pirated material would be such a threat.

This post really made me smile. You understand that I don't want to get him in trouble but don't want him to promote digital theft, I am not going to involve any authorties anymore anyway it's not worth it but I still need to make him understand. Thanks anyway.

 

[Rawne1980]

What a friend you are.

If I had a friend like you i'd slap the ever living snot out of them.

Yeah piracy is wrong and all that jazz but you don't shit on your friends.

 

[Gamergeek25]

Snip. quote]

This post really made me smile. You understand that I don't want to get him in trouble but don't want him to promote digital theft, I am not going to involve any authorties anymore anyway it's not worth it but I still need to make him understand. Thanks anyway.

Just do an intervention. then like some other poster said.

 

[Hazy992]

Ya know, I can understand distaste of his position, but you'd really do that to a friend of yours?

That was my thought as well. He can't be a very good friend if you'd be willing to do that to him.

I'd say. I mean I'd feel bad that a friend did something wrong and I let him get away with it, but if it's a friend then even if they make mistakes I'd like for them to not suffer for it.

Yeah same. I wouldn't fuck up my friendship over something like this.

If someone did this to me I would punch him in the face, seriously. Going behind someones back like that is not cool, specially when you are friends.

No it's not. That's a really shitty thing to do to a friend IMO. IDC if you're not cool with piracy that's just really fucking dickish[footnote]BTW let me just make it clear that I'm not condoning piracy[/footnote]