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. :/

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

Thanks bro, I half expected the responses to be Y U NO LIEK PIRATES!! ******!

Your assumptions insult me. In all my time on this website no one has ever acted like that or even typed like that.

OT: Leave the guy alone, this isn't your battle. Ratting him out to anyone would make you a **** and you don't want to be that; he's your friend and you don't exactly have to support him but you are supposed to be loyal to him before a few people working for a company you bought a product from. It's just a dick move to snitch on a friend.

 

[MercurySteam]

I've heard enough of this "he's your fiend dont do it" bullshit

Just because you don't agree with me doesn't mean I'm wrong.

heres the thing if he was pirating from EA or something i would say dont report him

Ohhhhhhh, so its okay as long as it's not happening to a company you like. Fair enough.

i would report any of my friends in an instant if they did that...because thats less money a company i love to use in their next game.

So what makes this reasoning okay and my response 'bullshit'? I can see the reason in wanting to so chivalrously your favourite publisher but I don't agree with it. And if they are pirating it, chances are they weren't going to pay for it in the first place.

 

[Rainforce]

What's next, Nazis?

You know who else was against piracy? Hitler! [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HitlerAteSugar]

on a more serious note, this thread should be closed, this discussion won't come to an end between the "piracy is evil" and "piracy is ok" people, because let's face it, it's both a terribly hypocritical thing to say. so let's calm down, because people who pirate games wouldn't pay for it anyways, so no harm done (HA!). Their own conscience, on the other hand, should tell them that it's not ok to take things for granted without paying people back for them, independent of how much others FORCE you to pay. (which is immoral and not part of any law I know or probably ever be in a long time. because that would only add to the "force" part)

Ohhhhhhh, so its okay as long as it's not happening to a company you like. Fair enough.

...

: D

And giving gifts makes you an accomplice, that too.

that's why you gift stuff back, right?
...damn, I'm innocent.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

OP, seriously - chill.

Everybody (or nearly everybody) either actively pirates games or has pirated at least one game in the past. Most of us try to walk the walk and talk the talk but hey, if your friend can't be bothered to consider that sixty dollars a pop is a fair price, you won't change his mind by barking up his tree about it.

Just get on with your life, safe in the knowledge that his ISP will or already has sent him warnings for his bandwidth use or for his nabbing stuff from flagged torrents. Either he'll be scared out of the habit, which seems unlikely, or he'll go on for several years, until his backlog of pirated swag reaches such epic proportions that he starts seeding as well - at which point he's liable to be fingered by his ISP for copyright-infringing activities.

Honestly, it's just way too much hassle for a single individual. Keep buying your games, keep your friend if he's not that much of a jerk beyond his wanton refusal to buy games, stop heckling or sermonizing him because it won't do jack squat - and keep going.

Piracy's not worth getting all righteous over, honestly. There's nobler causes in the world that are worthy of being white-knighted to oblivion and back.

 

[Anthony Wells]

I've heard enough of this "he's your fiend dont do it" bullshit

Just because you don't agree with me doesn't mean I'm wrong.

heres the thing if he was pirating from EA or something i would say dont report him

Ohhhhhhh, so its okay as long as it's not happening to a company you like. Fair enough.

i would report any of my friends in an instant if they did that...because thats less money a company i love to use in their next game.

So what makes this reasoning okay and my response 'bullshit'? I can see the reason in wanting to so chivalrously your favourite publisher but I don't agree with it. And if they are pirating it, chances are they weren't going to pay for it in the first place.

I retracted my post before you responded.

 

[MercurySteam]

I've heard enough of this "he's your fiend dont do it" bullshit

Just because you don't agree with me doesn't mean I'm wrong.

heres the thing if he was pirating from EA or something i would say dont report him

Ohhhhhhh, so its okay as long as it's not happening to a company you like. Fair enough.

i would report any of my friends in an instant if they did that...because thats less money a company i love to use in their next game.

So what makes this reasoning okay and my response 'bullshit'? I can see the reason in wanting to so chivalrously your favourite publisher but I don't agree with it. And if they are pirating it, chances are they weren't going to pay for it in the first place.

I retracted my post before you responded.

Sorry mate, the internet is written in ink.

 

[manic_depressive13]

I don't support piracy but I wouldn't even rat out an acquaintance for anything less than some sort of physical violence against another person. I'm sorry but you're the worst kind of traitor.