Need some piracy advice....

[Sansha]

Honestly, damn your friend. Report him, and if he gets questioned or fined for it, flatly reply "Perhaps you'll reconsider next time you decide to steal a game."

'I don't want to pay for it' - that's just insanity. I don't know how anyone with a properly adjusted personality and lack of head trauma can honestly idealize that as a legitimate excuse. I didn't want to have to pay for my apartment, car or food this week but that doesn't mean "Oh, well, by all means, go steal it sir."
I'm not going walk past the ticket counter in a movie theater, and when stopped reply "Oh, I didn't want to pay for it. I wasn't going to anyway, so you didn't lose a sale.", and be let in on those grounds.

I've always been impassioned about this subject. I can't stand people who pirate games, movies or music and don't even have the balls to admit, even to themselves, that they've stolen something.
Unless, of course, your conscience is niggling at the back of your head and you only did it because you're too afraid of real-world consequences rather than, y'know, morality and goodness.

So report your friend. I would.

Sounds like you're not just a really shitty friend but you also don't know the difference between stealing and copyright infringement. Good job.

I'm fully aware of the difference, but I still call it stealing, by definition of using a roundabout method to get something for free that you should be paying for. You wouldn't happen to be one of those people who's just afraid to admit it, would you?

Also me being a shitty friend is a moot topic; I don't make friends with freeloaders, swindlers and, again, people who can't admit their own moral shortcomings.

I absolutely hate people who steal games. Even I have trouble comprehending how much.

I don't call it stealing because under the law it's not. Common sense really. Using steal in this context is just plain stupid.

It's a shame that there're still people who use what's coded in written law to define morality. It's like child-molesting preachers who say it's okay because it's not explicitly defined as a sin in the Bible.
What I'm effectively hearing here is that doing immoral things is just peachy as long as your law - and conscience - doesn't specifically tell you it's wrong.
I could convince somebody to commit suicide and even drive 'em to the local harbor bridge. I wouldn't get slammed with murder or even arrested. But I'm not going to do it because it's wrong.

Honestly I probably wouldn't mind so much if you'd just be a man about it and admit you've stolen something. Why is that so impossible a moral conundrum for you to overcome?
Even if you still don't, you've still broken the law. Stealing or *fingerquotes*copyright infringement*fingerquotes* shouldn't matter: you broke the law anyway, so why bother hiding from your conscience? Do you feel better thinking you broke a less serious law, or safer knowing if caught you'll be facing a much less serious penalty?

He took a copy of the game that he had no legal right to take.

I love how people prefer to harp on the syntax used to refer to the crime, and handily gloss over the fact that it is indeed a crime.

 

[Vegosiux]

What I'm effectively hearing here is that doing immoral things is just peachy as long as your law - and conscience - doesn't specifically tell you it's wrong.

But...the law does specifically tell you it's wrong.

It doesn't call it theft, but it still specifically tells you it's wrong. I daresay I am more worried about people who need to use a "loaded" word in order to keep themselves reminded something's wrong. This entire "Not theft means it's OK" you're allegedly fighting against is a strawman on your part, and nothing more.

Also, if you actually "steal" a copy of a game, you get a genuine non-pirated copy.

 

[Sansha]

What I'm effectively hearing here is that doing immoral things is just peachy as long as your law - and conscience - doesn't specifically tell you it's wrong.

But...the law does specifically tell you it's wrong.

It doesn't call it theft, but it still specifically tells you it's wrong. I daresay I am more worried about people who need to use a "loaded" word in order to keep themselves reminded something's wrong.

Also, if you actually "steal" a copy of a game, you get a genuine non-pirated copy.

Justify, twist, quote and moralize all you want - to me, taking and using a copy of digital media you didn't pay for means you stole it. Having not taken a physical copy - box, disk etc - doesn't change that; just means you stole directly from the developer rather than the retail store. Which carries much, much less risk and penalty for being caught, which really boils down to why it happens - people too afraid of real-world penalty so they use a system which makes them harder to be caught and punished, and then their own sense of morality by swinging into denial.

I hate thieves, but I really hate thieves who refuse to admit their wrongdoings, especially in this case where they up-front admit to doing it, but refuse to acknowledge it as a crime, or at the very least, something immoral and wrong.

You'll never convince me otherwise, and frankly I someone is a despicable person for, again, trying to make it sound 'better' at best or 'a-okay' at worst.

 

[Vegosiux]

Ahh, the old "They have more than me, therefore they deserve whatever I do to them" defense. Classic.

Wait now, that defense would kind of count stuff like murder and dismemberment in and I'm pretty sure no pirate is trying to defend that.

 

[MercurySteam]

I don't get it. What is your reasoning behind not taking anything from me seriously anymore?

You're serious, aren't you? Well then lets take a step back:

for the record though, there is NOTHING worse than a smoker

You just discriminated against people who partake in a particular activity. It would be like discriminating against people who play videogames - even worse, smoking hardly shapes a person while playing videogames does in some cases. Congratulations, you don't like people with a habit that has nothing to do with who they are as a human being.

Now it's not a particularly healthy or appealing habit but I know plenty of people who smoke (and they're good people) but as long as they don't try and pressure me into smoking with them then I believe they deserve the same respect as any other decent person.

TL;DR - Your logic is severely flawed, please seek help.

 

[Vegosiux]

Justify, twist, quote and moralize all you want - to me, taking and using a copy of digital media you didn't pay for means you stole it. Having not taken a physical copy - box, disk etc - doesn't change that; just means you stole directly from the developer rather than the retail store. Which carries much, much less risk and penalty for being caught, which really boils down to why it happens - people too afraid of real-world penalty so they use a system which makes them harder to be caught and punished, and then their own sense of morality by swinging into denial.

You'll never convince me otherwise, and frankly I someone is a despicable person for, again, trying to make it sound 'better' at best or 'a-okay' at worst.

Uhm, okay now. Where exactly have I "justified", "twisted" or "moralized" anything?

Also, where did I try to make something sound 'better' or 'a-okay'?

 

[Trippy Turtle]

As much as I disagree with piracy why would you just get your friend in trouble for something so minor? I mean sure, if he was the head of a massive drug empire then you should probably report it but I seriously hope my friends wouldn't go and tell someone that I was driving without my L plates on for a few minutes.

 

[Vegosiux]

What's next, Nazis?

Those fall under "whatever" too, yes.

But hey, it was your strawman, not mine, you tell me what's included in "whatever" and what isn't...

 

[Akyho]

There is only one way to report. To the police. That is not a road you will want to go down since Fine/jail time for your friend. Hell if you rat on him now with someone that could come round and go "No Bad!" He will hate you and you will no longer be friends.

There is no way to do it.

 

[Anthony Wells]

edit: nevermind


report him if you want him to get in huge trouble as there is no place to report him that wont result in it. Simple as that.

 

[suitepee7]

The next time he complains about something in gaming, just tell him "Fuck you, go fuck yourself ****, you dont pay money for your video games so shut the fuck up and eat whatever shit publishers put out." Much better.

pretty much this. but just do it every time he mentions most things to do with gaming. i can assure you, keep at it long enough and it will piss them off summat fierce. seriously though, any action you take which will have repercussions like you are on about, will all be far too harsh a thing to do with your friends. it is a shame, but just suck it up and act like a dick towards him because of it.

 

[Vegosiux]

If pirating is stealing, then borrowing, renting and buying used is also stealing. In all cases, you take something that doesn't belong to you and never support the maker of the product. Logic.

And giving gifts makes you an accomplice, that too.

 

[Anthony Wells]

edit: fuck pressed the wrong button. :/