Piracy in general

qwiksilva666 · Post by **qwiksilva666** » 13 Sep 2005, 12:49

so if im a pirate, AND i make pirated copies of stuff aboard my ship...do i get double the time in jail?

Dr_Cornholio · Post by **Dr_Cornholio** » 13 Sep 2005, 13:25

Ramjet wrote:no. You could download most printer software from the internet. Basically it's freeware (well, the drivers are, anyhow) meaning that installing a printer on a network is not piracy.

All drivers are freeware coz its for hardware and there ain't no such thing as hardware piracy

Prime · Post by **Prime** » 13 Sep 2005, 22:59

what about things like like nero which is CD authoring software.

if you have a portable CD drive then is it legal to have the software on more than 2 PC's?

Leigh · Post by **Leigh** » 14 Sep 2005, 02:01

Capanno_Del_Kimakigami wrote:I read in a licence agreement once that you own the media the software is copied on, not the software itself.

When you buy a game or software or a DVD or a music CD, you are not buying the actual media. You are purchasing a license to use/listen/watch that media on your own equipment.

If anyone has any doubts about any of this, simply read any EULA agreement for any stuff you've bought - it's all explicitly explained.

da_ripper - some agreements allow you to install the software onto more than one machine, provided that you do not use that software on both machines simultaneously. For example, Adobe allow you to activate and register Photoshop on two seperate machines, on the proviso that you're only using one installation at any given time (and since I have done this with my own license of Photoshop, I can assure you that it works). Some software packages still ship with dongles - hardware locks that allow the software to run. With a dongle, you can install the software on as many machines as you want - since you have to physically plug the dongle into the machine to run the software. This obviously prevents you from using the software simultaneously on more than one machine.

Frankly I don't see how there can be any confusion regarding this issue. It's all very black and white to me.

I'd say that anyone questioning these is probably using various unlicensed pieces of software and media and are trying to find loopholes to justify their crimes.

SoulBlade · Post by **SoulBlade** » 14 Sep 2005, 10:21

simmy wrote:Are you studying I.T. ?

Retha de la Harpe
Head of Department

Hey Simmy

Do u know her? She's my lecturer (Data Admin) at CPUT.

UsMarshal · Post by **UsMarshal** » 14 Sep 2005, 11:21

Arkonin wrote:If I want to give someone else my Windows XP cd, does that mean that I would have to uninstall it on my pc?

Not really, you can always leave it in plain view for him to take while your back is turned. This way, you have no idea he has installed your copy of Windows

(Its not my fault officer, I never knew he took it!)

Dr_Cornholio · Post by **Dr_Cornholio** » 14 Sep 2005, 13:22

da_ripper wrote:what about things like like nero which is CD authoring software.

if you have a portable CD drive then is it legal to have the software on more than 2 PC's?

The whole idea behind media piracy (i.e: music/software/games) is that (usually, depending on the copyright) it is illegal to have more than one copy/installation of the original. So as long as you don't have more than 1 installation of the same copy of Nero at any given time, you're good.

Prime · Post by **Prime** » 14 Sep 2005, 20:01

but thats the thing. i have a portable drive so i need nero to write CD and more importantly DVD's

So if they provide me with Nero for an internal CD drive built into an Aftermarket external drive Case i am in effect pirating software because of my system config.

and what about the pre assembled external units. they ont have unlimited licences do they.

I have nero on +2 pcs cos my Cd/dvd writer is external from one Disc

slane · Post by **slane** » 06 Oct 2005, 12:40

How many times do you have to buy something?

Example:
If you go to a movie, you pay R35.00 to watch it. About 6 months later you may decide to watch it on video +-R15.00. Maybe you want to buy it on DVD, and it cost another R150.00. You're looking at over R200.00. Then.....it gets scratched....and you have to re-buy it...

Example 2:
You buy a Vinyl in the 70's, then you buy a tape in the 80's then a CD, then - you've bought it 3 times.

I say there is nothing wrong with backing it up and keeping the original in a safe place. There is nothing wrong with transferring it from one media to another ie.e CD -> MP3, and playing it on your MP3 player. As long as you're not giving it to someone who hasn't paid for it.

I also don't think anything is wrong with downloading a song that you have already paid for. Say you bought a CD, and it got scratched. Its not your fault the CD is so delicate. It should then be okay to re-download it and copy it onto a blank CD to replace the original.

jee · Post by **jee** » 10 Oct 2005, 09:21

Copyright, intellectual property, National Consumer Council and responsibilities....

Alas, just as the EC is failing to differentiate between pirates and those who copy for convenience - which we think are the people the NCC has in mind: those folk who copy CDs so they can also play songs in the car, say - the NCC similarly fails to appreciate there's a difference between a consumer who engages in what might be termed a 'fair use' and another who posts thousands upon thousands of new songs for anyone and everyone to plunder.

and

Her [NCC's policy director Jill Johnstone] language puts her dangerously close to the techno-utopian camp, but still Johnstone and the NCC are correct on at least one point: future EC legislation does need to define closely what is reasonable copying - ripping a CD so you can play it on your iPod, an act currently illegal in the UK though not in some other European countries - and making it possible for anyone to steal music. In short, there needs to be a clear distinction made between the private and public domains

theregister

rustypup · Post by **rustypup** » 11 Oct 2005, 09:53

DRM mania - interesting piece on Digital Rights Management, and how well, (not), it was received by fans and artists alike...

jee · Post by **jee** » 11 Oct 2005, 10:13

puppy, then if you read the article that I posted in the offend thread regarding copyright it makes one wonders where the money goes..

Hmmm and Japan wants to "tax" iPods to get back their money.

mr_clark · Post by **mr_clark** » 28 Dec 2005, 21:35

a note on piracy

i am quite against piracy on the basis that it destroys game manufacturers ,( the makers of fallout to name one ) but another u cant patch a pirate game ,and i have to say most new games i have baught legit are buggy as hell (x3 and stonghold 2 to name a few ) is it perhaps a way or copy control we dont know about ?

bah !!!

Rayne · Post by **Rayne** » 28 Dec 2005, 21:48

No.

It's developers being lazy.

Take LucasFarts as the perfect example. KotOR2 was pushed out the door cut and incomplete just so they would make their dead-line.

Orph3us · Post by **Orph3us** » 28 Dec 2005, 22:11

Rayne wrote:No.

It's developers being lazy.

Take LucasFarts as the perfect example. KotOR2 was pushed out the door cut and incomplete just so they would make their dead-line.

Still a kickass game! Buggy as hell - got stuck in a lot of walls - but kickass!!

thread3 · Post by **thread3** » 29 Dec 2005, 07:43

hey Ive got a pirate game!

rustypup · Post by **rustypup** » 29 Dec 2005, 08:02

Rayne wrote:KotOR2 was pushed out the door cut and incomplete just so they would make their dead-line.

how about Sacred, (Ascaron).... quite possibly these two may be contenders in the "Most Bug Ridden First Release"....

fact is... when marketing gets involved and deadlines have to be met the logic is "we can fix it later... just make sure we release the most critical patches first" type of attitude...

Ascaron even went so far as to use the initial suckers as their beta testers... 'cause there is no way on earth that game made it through beta...

these days I don't buy upfront... wait till it hits the bargain bin and chances are the horde of patches will be included in your purchase...

less stress that way..

@thread3 - report to the ward... I'm sure the doc has an ointment for that

goku · Post by **goku** » 29 Dec 2005, 08:30

thread3 wrote:hey Ive got a pirate game!

So do I, it's called Sid Meyer's Pirates

Website · Post by **hamin_aus** » 29 Dec 2005, 08:38

rustypup wrote:these days I don't buy upfront... wait till it hits the bargain bin and chances are the horde of patches will be included in your purchase... less stress that way..

I agree.
I bought Cvilization 4 two weeks ago.
It was only released in SA this month, but has been available overseas for almost 3 months.
There is aleady a patch 1.09 available for it.
Remember in the good 'ol days of game design.
It took Starcraft almost 4 years to reach 9 patches.
And most of those were race balance changes....

Civ4 is still a kick-âss game, though!

Sojourn · Post by **Sojourn** » 29 Dec 2005, 08:55

True Jamin, too true... and startcraft is SUCH a kickass rts game, I wish they have chosen that above warcraft to further. Am still playing it now and again. The Protoss rules !!! I dont think there exists today a more balanced rts game as far as inter unit comparability goes. Aww the good ol days of passion for game dev...

Website · Post by **hamin_aus** » 29 Dec 2005, 09:04

There is still quite a SC following world-wide, and when you consider that this game is almost 8 years old, that's a good testament to it's design.

When I think of the RTS titles I have bought this year:
Act of War: Direct Action
Rise Of nations [Gold]
Empire Earth 2
Lord of the Rings: Battle For Middle Earth

The only one I am still playing is Battle For Middle Earth, and even that is getting boring.....

ElDiablo · Post by **ElDiablo** » 29 Dec 2005, 10:24

ne1 a Tiberian Sun fan? I played that game many moons ago, think I played it while I was still in school, like in 1999 or something like that. I rediscovered the CD a while ago, and played it again, very nice game...

Back to the topic, I think that the average Joe cannot affort to buy 1 game per month and has to resort to piracy. I spoke to a cop the other day and he also said that it would be impossible for him to buy each and every program and game that he has on his computer. It totals hundrends of thousands of rands and it's just too impractical.
If games were cheaper, he'd buy them from the distributers and not from flea markets. But sometimes you just do not have a choice, If you want something bad, nothing will stop you to get it, and if piracy is an option, it will be the easiest option.

I think the reason piracy became so bad is because we South Africans have to wait longer than the rest of the world for a released game to reach us. So if a game is released, you just download the cracked no-cd or alcohol images.

Website · Post by **hamin_aus** » 29 Dec 2005, 10:36

I will admit that if there is a game I want and I have the opportunity, I will play a warez version of the game.

If I like the game I buy it and if I dont I delete it.
I buy about 6 games a year and and I enjoy every one of them due to this fact.

As far as what you said ElDiablo, I agree that 99% of us cannot afford everything we want.

But not being able to afford it is no reason to steal it.

Would you walk into Total Sports and steal a R500 track suite because you couldn't afford it?

ElDiablo · Post by **ElDiablo** » 29 Dec 2005, 10:55

No, but I'd buy it off the street for R50

Zell · Post by **Zell** » 29 Dec 2005, 11:00

Sojourn wrote:True Jamin, too true... and startcraft is SUCH a kickass rts game, I wish they have chosen that above warcraft to further. Am still playing it now and again. The Protoss rules !!! I dont think there exists today a more balanced rts game as far as inter unit comparability goes. Aww the good ol days of passion for game dev...

My Zerg-bombs and colony-swarm-invasions will PWN any protoss player.
Seriously, I once played a Korean oke (:shock:) and he was Protoss, but he ended up forfeiting becauce my Zerg controlled the entire 4v4 map, yet he was stuck in an impenetrable fortress base... my bombs and invasions were useless, but he ran out of minerals... Muhahaha...

DO you play online? Cause if so, I'd like to verse you one of these days.

BTW. I hate people who make money off piracy, as that is criminal.
But I feel sympathy towards people who can't afford anything, but need some form of entertainment, hence pirate. Its not like they would buy the thing anyways, hence the developers dont lose money that way.

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