Poll: are you breaking the law if...

[suitepee7]

not sure if this is off-topic or gaming, but anyway...

so, are you breaking the law if you purchase a game (PC only), but then pirate and play a version of the game with the DRM removed? technically you are playing an illegal copy, but you have already legitimately bought the product.

also, what do you morally think about this? do you feel you should be punished by the law, or is it acceptable in your eyes?


side note: i did a quick search for this topic already existing, but didn't find anything. i did do a lazy look though, so my apologies if this has been said before

 

[Valagetti]

You brought a copy, not the right to pirate it.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Under the DMCA, this is categorically illegal. However, it's a bad law, and that particular clause was written specifically to get rid of a fairly basic consumer right. The DMCA really screwed up copyright law in the US.

Edit: The specific clause I'm talking about makes it illegal to circumvent copy protection, so you can still make backups, but only if the files are stored in such a way that you don't have to break any DRM to do it.

 

[retterkl]

Get it on Steam and play it anywhere on your account



Haters gonna hate...

 

[SckizoBoy]

Under most jurisdictions (UK included), the buying = fine (as someone gets paid), the pirating = not fine (as someone - of the officious sort - isn't getting paid).

The whole DRM issue is sticky, because everyone knows (clearly with some exceptions) that it naturally encourages piracy and 'illegal' file-sharing. Take AC2, Ubisoft really dropped a clanger on that, and despite the fact that I was the good citizen and bought my copy (albeit second hand from an obviously dissatisfied - former - customer), I get why some would go 'fuck it, I'm torrenting this'.

 

[Hive Mind]

Just because you don't like an aspect of the product, doesn't mean you are entitled to pirate an illegal copy.

Entitlement: 'I want everything the way I want it and I want it now!'

 

[Jonluw]

You're still supporting the pirating community, so it's illegal.
However, I think some might call it justified when you actually put up with their intrusive DRM and still buy their game rather than boycotting it. At the very least it's better than those people who refuse to buy the game because of the DRM, but then go on to pirate it.

 

[erbkaiser]

IMO it's illegal to download a cracked copy.

Getting a nocd patch or de-DRM-ifier though? Should be legal in a sane world as you're only modifying a local copy of bought (=owned) content. As long as the game data is not shared I feel you're within your rights to mod the game and this includes removing instable system-crashing DRM or removing the need to keep a disc spinning all the time.

DMCA probably disagrees though.

 

[Jayjay21]

You bought the product, you have a right to modify it as you see fit.
Modifying it should include removing any DRM.

 

[Korak the Mad]

The company already got your money for the original, so why pay extra when you can get the game with all the content that you normally have to pay extra for. You already bought the original so I thinks it's fair to get all the content for it without having to pay extra the company extra.

 

[Valdus]

It's one of the few ways I would say pirating is justified. Everyone wins (You don't have to put up with annoying DRM and the company making the games gets money)

 

[Hawgh]

Legislation regarding making digital copies varies between countries. But if it is legal, it is not much of a stretch to imagine that it is also legal to create the copy in the slightly roundabout way of downloading a spare.

 

[Jayjay21]

Legislation regarding making digital copies varies between countries. But if it is legal, it is not much of a stretch to imagine that it is also legal to create the copy in the slightly roundabout way of downloading a spare.

As far as I know, it is legal to create a backup copy of any software you own. In Australia at least

 

[Dirkie]

My opinion might be a bit in violation of the general accepted rules, but if you buy a game, you essentially buy the licence to play that game for an indefinite time.
However, if it becomes "technology behaving badly" in such a way that you cannot play the game in any way except by applying non-legal obtained elements, i'd say it's allowed to do that to make it work.

 

[Torrasque]

Its like if you own a cd, but lent it to a friend, lost it, broke it, scratched it, did something to it so you cannot listen to it now; and then download the cd.
You are still technically pirating it, and that is still technically illegal.
But it makes sense to pirate it if you've bought it before.

 

[suitepee7]

i can see most people seem to be in agreement with my original thoughts on the matter, it is illegal, but morally acceptable.

however, what if the game was released with no DRM issues, but then after a mandatory patch (as in, the game will not start without it) it installs problem DRM which is intrusive and causes gameplay issues, is it morally right then?

 

[Heart of Darkness]

You brought a copy, not the right to pirate it.

/thread'd in the first reply. Well played, Valagetti, well played...

EDIT: Also, where're the choices for the people who don't give a toss about the morality on this issue?

 

[Kathinka]

depends on where you are. here in the czech republic its pretty much legal to download even if you don't own the game^^

 

[Del-Toro]

The funny thing about buying games is that you don't really buy a game, instead, you buy the license to use it. By that logic, it should be ok to pirate a game if the company you bought it from fucks you over somehow. You already fairly own the license, all you're doing is ensuring that you can use what you bought.

It's probably still illegal, but not many will police it. In canada, at least, the cops feel they have better things to do.