Need some piracy advice....

[Bara_no_Hime]

**sigh**

I love how 90% of the people on this thread have either
A) completely missed the point or
B) Chosen to use this thread as a platform for their opinions.

OP: someone above (on page 3) suggested making your friend's next birthday or christmas present a legal copy of Skyrim. That's actually pretty sneaky - particularly if you break the seal so he can't return it.

Otherwise, another person (also on page 3) actually provided you with the link of where to report your friend.

You've got your info. Choose one option.

I personally do not care which you choose. I'm not going to soap box (like so many people have) about my opinions about piracy/copyright law or the value of friendship. No one in this thread knows you or your friend - they don't know your situation. Other than the two posters I mentioned above, ignore them all and make your own decision.

 

[Kattaroten]

I am just upset that people think I enjoy the thought, I really don't but I did'nt think the reaction would be so... Nasty, I used to think the Escapist was a place were fellow posters would understand your point of view. I guess not, thanks for the feedback anyway.

This kinda pisses me off, there were lots of people that I'm very sure understood your point of view, they just, like me, didn't agree with it for a number of reasons. That's a big difference... Anyways! Guys, I think he's left the thread

 

[Yopaz]

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I am sure if you send an email to either the publisher who has recently sued over the name Scrolls or Bethesda legal department you may be in luck. If the legal team shrugs it off. I am sure the publishers will send their legal team on your friend.

Well, in the lawsuit concerning Scrolls the law actually forced them to do a lawsuit so it's not really something that could be avoided unless they wanted to lose their trademark. That does not make them a big angry sue-happy company.

OT: I would advice you to drop the matter. He pirated a game, but it's not like he's hurting anyone in this case. If he pays for the game money goes to the publisher, not the developer. The game has sold well enough to be called a financial success. It's still wrong to pirate it, but getting him in trouble is close to impossible and if you accomplish you have most likely ruined his life. Because you know, going to court against a massive company's legal team will cost you a lot. Do you really want to screw over your friend that much?

 

[Tanakh]

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?

At risk of deraling the thred more, mind giving your working definition of "steal"?

 

[Vegosiux]

Oh, they understood his point of view, they just thought he was an asshole for considering turning in someone who was breaking the law.

Depending on your motives and your relationship with the "someone" in question that can be a pretty asshole-ish thing to do sometimes.

 

[Phisi]

Is it just that he doesn't want to pay for it or he can't. It sounds like you are high school or Uni students and I can understand the latter. I think it's better for gamers to be able to play lots of games so they get to experience a variety of different genres and mechanics so they know what they like in future and what is a good buy. That said if you can pay for the games I think you are obliged to. I wouldn't dob him in, I don't see it as that major of a crime. Maybe buy it for him and make him in debt to you.

 

[Yopaz]

I wish that was true, many of my friends have `shit on me' in the past and I forgave them. I very rarely oppose my friends at all, but somthing about this just really got under my skin.

I guess i've been lucky with my friends. 5 of us, quite literally, grew up together. We were all born within a few months of each other and lived on the same street (there was a power cut for a week 9 months earlier, guess what our parents did to entertain themselves). We've been friends for close to 30 years, well we're between 31 and 32 now but obviously we didn't socialise much from the cot.

We've all done and known someone who's done something stupid but with friends we let it slide. Hell, my friends have lied for me and i've lied for them.

I'm just struggling to come to terms with the fact you were willing to do that to a friend.

Normally I take nothing seriously, as some people here know, I rarely make a serious comment but that threw me.

If your friends have shit on you in the past then i'm guessing they aren't very good ones.

I am just upset that people think I enjoy the thought, I really don't but I did'nt think the reaction would be so... Nasty, I used to think the Escapist was a place were fellow posters would understand your point of view. I guess not, thanks for the feedback anyway.

Well you didn't expect a nasty reaction over asking for advice to get your friend in trouble. Now sit back and think about the consequences of getting him in trouble.
He gets sued by a massive company. He has to face a whole team of lawyers. He is going to lose. He will never be able to pay a small fracture of the court proceedings, let alone paying what defendant demands. He will have to file for bankruptcy. He will never be able to get a loan for a house/apartment, future employers are likely to turn him down due to his history.

That is why you get a few nasty replies here. If you were successful in getting him into trouble you would pretty much screw up his entire life. Now I hate piracy as much as anyone else, but is it really worth it? What happened with telling someone they're an ass and move on?

 

[Darknacht]

I am just upset that people think I enjoy the thought, I really don't but I did'nt think the reaction would be so... Nasty, I used to think the Escapist was a place were fellow posters would understand your point of view. I guess not, thanks for the feedback anyway.

The escapist is fairly well populated by pirates that don't like people making them feel bad about what they do, how was the reaction not expected? Also, your not being an ass he is, report him.

 

[ResonanceSD]

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

As if you wouldn't. "I don't want to pay for it, so i just took it because I could" is why everyone calls piracy theft. And they'd be right, in this case.

 

[Aeonknight]

I am just upset that people think I enjoy the thought, I really don't but I did'nt think the reaction would be so... Nasty, I used to think the Escapist was a place were fellow posters would understand your point of view. I guess not, thanks for the feedback anyway.

The escapist is fairly well populated by pirates that don't like people making them feel bad about what they do, how was the reaction not expected? Also, your not being an ass he is, report him.

It's funny how many people are calling him a terrible person. What makes this so terrible? That a pirate is getting what he deserves? That the consequences for his actions finally have a little weight behind them? Sounds like a good start to me.

 

[Durgiun]

For all of you "Wow, you're so horrible for ever snitching on your friend!", I have one question:

Say your friend murdered someone, and has no remorse for their act. They even plan to do it again. Would you still refuse to tell anyone?

Did you just compare internet piracy to murder?

Actually, no, I didn't. Just seeing how far people will take this whole "Never tell on your friends" idea.

Well, if one of my friends killed a serial rapist or something I'd keep it secret, but also throw them a small party for being awesome.

 

[ResonanceSD]

Bethesda are already sitting on a mountain of cash. Chill the fuck out and don't be snitchin'.

Ah yes, the old "the people who do the work that I should be paying to access have PLENTY OF MONEY, SO IT'S FINE THEN" argument. Otherwise known as "why no one takes jimquisition seriously anymore".


So it'd be totally ok to just flat out take money from people who've got plenty of money right? Because hey, they've got lots of money to begin with.

 

[ResonanceSD]

I am just upset that people think I enjoy the thought, I really don't but I did'nt think the reaction would be so... Nasty, I used to think the Escapist was a place were fellow posters would understand your point of view. I guess not, thanks for the feedback anyway.

The escapist is fairly well populated by pirates that don't like people making them feel bad about what they do, how was the reaction not expected? Also, your not being an ass he is, report him.

It's funny how many people are calling him a terrible person. What makes this so terrible? That a pirate is getting what he deserves? That the consequences for his actions finally have a little weight behind them? Sounds like a good start to me.

Fantastic start, but yes, IP law needs a rewrite. You either bust everyone for the little things first, or be prepared to let the big things slide.

 

[Aeonknight]

I am just upset that people think I enjoy the thought, I really don't but I did'nt think the reaction would be so... Nasty, I used to think the Escapist was a place were fellow posters would understand your point of view. I guess not, thanks for the feedback anyway.

The escapist is fairly well populated by pirates that don't like people making them feel bad about what they do, how was the reaction not expected? Also, your not being an ass he is, report him.

Oh what a silly person you are, didnt you know that being a preemptive nautical salvage expert is against the rules on the escapist? Nope, no pirates here, just law abiding citizens who dont even watch youtube cause it is full of copyrighted material being infringed upon!

Implying that streaming and downloading are the same thing. Nice strawman arguement.

 

[Rainforce]

Sure isn't nice of him, but...

I really think I need to make an example of him

You shouldn't have THIS kind of thoughts in the first place.
I actually think that you can do better than playing the moral guardian for a game you like.
I do like Skyrim as well, but would I really screw someone over because he pirated A GAME?
like all the million people before him? piracy is (by far) not ok,
but you sound like the kind of person that would beat someone up because they looked at you funny.

 

[Rainforce]

Just saw this exchange.

If you think that the choice of whether you should report your friend to authorities for some shit like this is a "difficult situation" you don't know what loyalty is. This is no longer a matter of what you seem to be like. That just confirmed it.

screw loyalty, sounds more like he doesn't know what a "difficult situation" is.
on the loyalty part: we come to the same conclusion, as I wouldn't like to be around for the aftermath once I screwed over the people I spend a lot of time with. just doesn't work out.

and why not Amnesia.

DON'T YOU DARE D:<

 

[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.

 

[Tanakh]

There is no "your" definition of stealing. The only definition that matters is the legal one, which copyright infringement does not fit into and there is ample case law to back it up.

Which country are you talking about? Which years? In what jurisdiction and under what law (martial, civil, canonic)? "the legal one" as if there is only one, lolz, anyway we are using non legal speech english in this forums, it is at least reasonable to assume he is using "steal" in a casual way.

If you are talking legal, i don't think there is a definition of "steal", AFAIK the crime is called larceny; however according to wikipedia "anti-theft-of-government-property law 18 U.S.C. § 640 is used to prosecute cases where the Espionage Act would otherwise be involved" which seems to suggest that actually taking a phisical object is not a requisite for an act of theft.

 

[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.

 

[MercurySteam]

One of my friends pirated Skyrim recently......Anyway I need some advice, is their any system that I can report this to secretly? Cause I really think I need to make an example of him

Wow, some friend you are.

Now I don't enjoy making judgements of people but that's just cold. I know plenty of my friends pirate games but it's never really affected me before. Sure they pirate games I like, but it's not enough to get me to rat them out like that. My love for a videogame has never, and probably never will push me to betray the trust of another human being.

It's your call, but if you ride this train you may not like what happens at the end.