Does this still count as illegal piracy?

[triggrhappy94]

I was on stumble upon when I came across a video for the infamous pink scorpion from Serious Sam 3.

Spoiler: For Those Who Don't Know the Legend

The DRM for SS3, instead of just shutting down the game, is a big pink scorpion that shows up in the first level. The scorpion is unkillable, movies quickly, and can kill Sam even faster.

I had already seen the video before on here, so I decided it could be entertaining to read some of the comments. One person said that he had illegaly downloaded the game just so he could fight the scorpion; people quickly responded saying that he had denied the publisher the sale and his money--theft. He replied saying he had already bought the game, he just wanted to fight the scorpion.

My question is: Is it considered piracy/theft if you're downloading it just to play with the DRM? and Does having bought the game before change your opinion?

 

[Lucem712]

Hm, well since you don't technically own your physically copy (According to some publishers) you simply have a temporary license, so I'd vote with legal. Though, I'm not a lawyer or anything, so I'm probably wrong

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

It's illegal. Even if you have a legal copy, you still have to circumvent the copy protection to use that illegal one in the way you're talking about. Under the DMCA, any attempts to circumvent copy protection are explicitly illegal. Therefore, even if you didn't break the law by downloading the game, you broke it the minute you tried the no-CD patch. You also break it anytime you use a no-CD patch to get rid of the disc checks on something you legally own, and every time you watch a DVD using VLC media player (which, as an open source media player, has to get through the Macrovision copy protection without licensing the software needed to do it legally.) Copyright law sucks.

 

[triggrhappy94]

So most of you guys are saying that, even if you already own a copy, you can't prirate the game just to play the DRM-messed up version?

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

So most of you guys are saying that, even if you already own a copy, you can't prirate the game just to play the DRM-messed up version?

Yes, because of the way the DMCA works. It has a clause that makes any software or hardware designed to circumvent copy protection, or any attempts at doing so, illegal, even if it's being done for otherwise legal purposes. American copyright law is one giant tangle of corporate BS.

 

[isometry]

He was a part of the torrent swarm, uploading as well as downloading, so the parts of the file he almost certainly uploaded are a direct example of the "damage" that "innocent" pirating does.

Also, I don't think anyone who doesn't pirate games on a regular basis would download a torrent just for this.

Above all, I'm disappointed when people "buy the game and then crack it." If the DRM is so bad that you refuse to deal with it, please express that by not buying the game. It doesn't matter whether you pirate it, go ahead if you must (morality is hardly a concern when one party is capitalist corporation) but don't support bad DRM.

 

[tippy2k2]

Above all, I'm disappointed when people "buy the game and then crack it." If the DRM is so bad that you refuse to deal with it, please express that by not buying the game. It doesn't matter whether you pirate it, go ahead if you must (morality is hardly a concern when one party is capitalist corporation) but don't support bad DRM.

Please excuse my language here but there is only one thing I can say in response to your post:

A-FUCKING-MEN!

People ***** and moan about how DRM is killing their game experience and continue to support the company by purchasing their products. Either buy the game if you're OK with it or don't buy it if you're not OK with it. If you choose not to buy it and then pirate it, you lose all credibility in your argument.

If you don't like it, grow a God damn spine and some willpower and show the company that you do not approve.

Alright, let me get down off my soap box...

Now that I'm back down, yes, it would still be considered illegal in the eyes of the law. Morally...well, I still think it's bad morally (slippery slope and whatnot) but I'm guessing that most people would disagree with me. I have a hard "Don't Pirate" line that I just refuse to cross.

 

[Lilani]

The download is still illegal, but since he paid for it once I wouldn't go so far as to say he denied the publisher money. He didn't have plans to buy it twice in the first place, so to say he made the publisher lose money is just absurd.