New Piracy Law Hits Net Traffic Hard

[Ligisttomten]

It is incredibly ironic this law came into effect 1st of April. It is indeed the biggest joke in Swedish history.

 

[Odjin]

...if you buy something, rip the packaging off, play it, and/or dissatisfied with the product/it doesn't work, they won't give you a refund. Retail stores are half the problem these days, along with the current economic situation.

Then I guess your country needs to refine it's consumer law then, eh?

Nope, it's the default. In video games the consumer has no right for a refund if the product does not work. This is one of the major reasons people do hesitate to buy as they can be burned and then they are the arsed ones. It's like this everywhere unfortunately.

EDIT: And for those not believing it read the EULA the next time. It's clearly marked in there that they take no responsibility if the game does not work with your particular machine.

 

[new_age_reject]

I like to buy CD's, I consider myself a collector, but I don't have enough money to keep up with it all. I am a student, there are no jobs going in my shitty little town so I can't get more money.
It is impossible to stamp out piracy without invading peoples privacy and monitoring exactly what they do on the internet.

 

[Sixties Spidey]

...if you buy something, rip the packaging off, play it, and/or dissatisfied with the product/it doesn't work, they won't give you a refund. Retail stores are half the problem these days, along with the current economic situation.

Then I guess your country needs to refine it's consumer law then, eh?

Oh GOD yes it should. Customer service in this fucking city is piss poor. And here's what's funny.

The other day, I and a friend went to a toy store in Mall of the Emirates. We went to the games section just out of curiosity, and started looking at the games.There were copies of Mass Effect, Gears of War, Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, PSI-Ops, being sold for 279 dirhams (so around 70-80 bucks american, and these are brand new.). We then avert our eyes to copies of Saint's Row 2, which was being sold at 99 dirhams (around 10 american dollars. and this is BRAND NEW).

When we asked about this, we were told that the prices were fixed. Absolute bullshit. EVERY single one of those games has it's own fucking dealer, meaning they come to the stores at a fixed price AT FIRST, and then they go down gradually depending on sales or demand. Saint's Row 2 is still being sold at it's original price (259 dirhams) at other places. If they were fixed, Saint's Row wouldn't be selling at ten dollars.

And they ask why does piracy happen. Because of shit like this.

 

[Gladion]

Plus when you do want to buy something going online is usually the best bet from online retailers because they don't have to worry about the middle man and sometimes can get you the prices big companies pay.

For example go to www.newegg.com and look at car chargers for cell phones. You will probably pay about 5 bucks for your car charger for you cell phone. Now go to www.att.com or your provider and look at their prices. Chances are you will pay about 29.99 without tax. I can tell you from first hand experience when I accept shipment at my store that big companies only pay about 5 bucks for the product, sometimes less.

Ya, that's the way it goes. They rip you off with the accessories because they don't earn a lot from the "big stuff" like consoles, cell phones or TV sets.

"We won't do this for small offenders, this is just for the big fish"

what do they mean by that?

Probably small offenders are people who just occasionally download a song or film. I believe that, too, because the legal expenses would be astronomical - wouldn't make any sense.

Edit:

When we asked about this, we were told that the prices were fixed. Absolute bullshit. EVERY single one of those games has it's own fucking dealer, meaning they come to the stores at a fixed price AT FIRST, and then they go down gradually depending on sales or demand. Saint's Row 2 is still being sold at it's original price (259 dirhams) at other places. If they were fixed, Saint's Row wouldn't be selling at ten dollars.

And they ask why does piracy happen. Because of shit like this.

Piracy happens because Saint's Row 2 is cheap? Yes, I know, I exaggerated, but I still don't get your point (even after reading it three times). :S Sorry for being dumb, it's late over here, could you please explain this? I mean, if the game didn't sell well, why shouldn't they lower the price? I don't see the problem, let alone what this has to do with piracy.

 

[Jumplion]

Piracy is a problem that will never go away. No amount of DRM, legal suits, or crackdowns are ever going to solve piracy. It's in itself a reaction against DRM and retail stores. Not allowing people to have something only increases their need to have it.

People hate paying for things, regardless if it's online or on retail. People feel afraid of paying for something, realizing it's crap, and losing money. Want proof? Alright. Almost 75 percent of my Wii games (15)are torrents.

It's not my fault I don't want to pay 50 bucks (well, 250+ dirhams)for something I don't know I will like or not. (I have a 100 dirham a month allowance. (37 dollars a month) )And to make things worse, if you buy something, rip the packaging off, play it, and/or dissatisfied with the product/it doesn't work, they won't give you a refund. Retail stores are half the problem these days, along with the current economic situation.

That doesn't make it any more "right". If that's the case, it's just the same amount of fault on the consumer as on the retailers for not making an educated purchase. I agree with your main point though, people generally don't like to pay for things, but just because you don't want to doesn't mean you should. If you research the product you're interested in, you more than likely won't make a stupid decision.

 

[Sixties Spidey]

...if you buy something, rip the packaging off, play it, and/or dissatisfied with the product/it doesn't work, they won't give you a refund. Retail stores are half the problem these days, along with the current economic situation.

Then I guess your country needs to refine it's consumer law then, eh?

Nope, it's the default. In video games the consumer has no right for a refund if the product does not work. This is one of the major reasons people do hesitate to buy as they can be burned and then they are the arsed ones. It's like this everywhere unfortunately.

And I wonder, "is this what's contributing to piracy?" The likelihood of something not working with a particular console/machine? It seems to me like that's what is contributing to piracy. Lack of reliability.

Sadly, it is like this everywhere, and it all ties into what I said earlier. People are afraid to spend money on something that they probably won't like, or might not work, and to save the money/hassle, they turn to piracy. it seems plausible in my opinion.

 

[Nimbus]

...if you buy something, rip the packaging off, play it, and/or dissatisfied with the product/it doesn't work, they won't give you a refund. Retail stores are half the problem these days, along with the current economic situation.

Then I guess your country needs to refine it's consumer law then, eh?

Nope, it's the default. In video games the consumer has no right for a refund if the product does not work. This is one of the major reasons people do hesitate to buy as they can be burned and then they are the arsed ones. It's like this everywhere unfortunately.

EDIT: And for those not believing it read the EULA the next time. It's clearly marked in there that they take no responsibility if the game does not work with your particular machine.

Big fat DUH! Seriosly, if it dosn't work with your particular machine, that means that there is nothing wrong with the product. If, however there is something actually wrong with it you are (in my country at least) entitled to a repair, refund or replacement of your choice.

 

[Gladion]

...if you buy something, rip the packaging off, play it, and/or dissatisfied with the product/it doesn't work, they won't give you a refund. Retail stores are half the problem these days, along with the current economic situation.

Then I guess your country needs to refine it's consumer law then, eh?

Nope, it's the default. In video games the consumer has no right for a refund if the product does not work. This is one of the major reasons people do hesitate to buy as they can be burned and then they are the arsed ones. It's like this everywhere unfortunately.

And I wonder, "is this what's contributing to piracy?" The likelihood of something not working with a particular console/machine? It seems to me like that's what is contributing to piracy. Lack of reliability.

Sadly, it is like this everywhere, and it all ties into what I said earlier. People are afraid to spend money on something that they probably won't like, or might not work, and to save the money/hassle, they turn to piracy. it seems plausible in my opinion.

Plausible, yes, but still bullshit. I'm not sure how a console game wouldn't work on YOUR OWN console, unless it's broken - for PC, there are always specs to check, many times you get demos, too. I don't think this point makes too much sense. Also, if you're not sure whether you'll like it or not, that's your problem and you can deal with it legally. Either rent it, read tons of reviews or maybe check some friends in case they have got it. It's not like piracy is your only single option. Even then, if you find out you like it - would you buy it afterwards? I highly doubt most would do that.
To clarify this: I'm no anti-piracy-guy. If people want to do it, then do. It just pisses me off when they try to justify it or are even proud of it... Personally, I'd rather support the companies of whom I want the products. I'm not rich myself (still a student), so I just tighten the circle of things I get. Most books/games/films are nothing special anyways, so I simply focus on the real good stuff

Edit: Yes, after reading the post above mine, I recall: you definetly ARE allowed to return a product if it doesn't work. It's just that you can't return it simply because you don't like it.

 

[Signa]

Plus when you do want to buy something going online is usually the best bet from online retailers because they don't have to worry about the middle man and sometimes can get you the prices big companies pay.

For example go to www.newegg.com and look at car chargers for cell phones. You will probably pay about 5 bucks for your car charger for you cell phone. Now go to www.att.com or your provider and look at their prices. Chances are you will pay about 29.99 without tax. I can tell you from first hand experience when I accept shipment at my store that big companies only pay about 5 bucks for the product, sometimes less.

Ya, that's the way it goes. They rip you off with the accessories because they don't earn a lot from the "big stuff" like consoles, cell phones or TV sets.

"We won't do this for small offenders, this is just for the big fish"

what do they mean by that?

Probably small offenders are people who just occasionally download a song or film. I believe that, too, because the legal expenses would be astronomical - wouldn't make any sense.

Edit:

When we asked about this, we were told that the prices were fixed. Absolute bullshit. EVERY single one of those games has it's own fucking dealer, meaning they come to the stores at a fixed price AT FIRST, and then they go down gradually depending on sales or demand. Saint's Row 2 is still being sold at it's original price (259 dirhams) at other places. If they were fixed, Saint's Row wouldn't be selling at ten dollars.

And they ask why does piracy happen. Because of shit like this.

Piracy happens because Saint's Row 2 is cheap? Yes, I know, I exaggerated, but I still don't get your point (even after reading it three times). :S Sorry for being dumb, it's late over here, could you please explain this? I mean, if the game didn't sell well, why shouldn't they lower the price? I don't see the problem, let alone what this has to do with piracy.

It took me reading 3 times too before I got his meaning. It wasn't that SR2 was cheap, it was that the other games were needlessly expensive. Mass Effect came out when? Late '07? If it's still more expensive than 8 month-old SR2, then something is wrong. BOTH are good games, so it not like one should be bargain-binned early.

 

[Social Pariah]

Western culture is pretty much corporation run... it's exactly how western democracy works...

 

[Gladion]

It took me reading 3 times too before I got his meaning. It wasn't that SR2 was cheap, it was that the other games were needlessly expensive. Mass Effect came out when? Late '07? If it's still more expensive than 8 month-old SR2, then something is wrong. BOTH are good games, so it not like one should be bargain-binned early.

Meh, it's not the shop's task to sell the games at same prices. If one single shop sells one single game extra special cheap, for whatever reason, it's their own fucking decision. I understand your point, but I don't think that something is wrong in that case. If noones buys the game, then it's prefectly reasonable to lower the price. Why so drastically, I don't know, maybe they got it cheap? (I used to work at an electronics shop, and the boss got a few guitar hero peripherals for free, so we sold those extra special cheap, too - it's not impossible.)

Still, it has nothing to do with piracy, at all...

 

[Signa]

It took me reading 3 times too before I got his meaning. It wasn't that SR2 was cheap, it was that the other games were needlessly expensive. Mass Effect came out when? Late '07? If it's still more expensive than 8 month-old SR2, then something is wrong. BOTH are good games, so it not like one should be bargain-binned early.

Meh, it's not the shop's task to sell the games at same prices. If one single shop sells one single game extra special cheap, for whatever reason, it's their own fucking decision. I understand your point, but I don't think that something is wrong in that case. If noones buys the game, then it's prefectly reasonable to lower the price. Why so drastically, I don't know, maybe they got it cheap? (I used to work at an electronics shop, and the boss got a few guitar hero peripherals for free, so we sold those extra special cheap, too - it's not impossible.)

Still, it has nothing to do with piracy, at all...

Agreed. It wasn't my point anyway, I was just restating it for him since he confused the hell out of both of us. It is A point, but not a good one that applies to most pirates.


Really, if you want a "good" reason to pirate, just look at the quality of games these days. So many are piles of trash. Some are so bad they make the cheap burnable disk they were burnt to feel like a waste. Sure, you can look at reviews, friend's feedback, or play demos, but ultimately, everyone of those is unreliable with YOUR money. Game critics are known to take bribes, friends might not own the games you are looking for/have different opinions of said games, and demos can be used to blind you from the overwhelming negatives a game has. The only REAL way to know if a game is worth playing is to play it yourself. By the time you've done that, you've already committed your $50-$60 to the game.

 

[Gladion]

Agreed. It wasn't my point anyway, I was just restating it for him since he confused the hell out of both of us. It is A point, but not a good one that applies to most pirates.

Yes, yes! I did understand that part maybe I didn't clarify that myself, sorry bout that. ;>

Really, if you want a "good" reason to pirate, just look at the quality of games these days. So many are piles of trash. Some are so bad they make the cheap burnable disk they were burnt to feel like a waste. Sure, you can look at reviews, friend's feedback, or play demos, but ultimately, everyone of those is unreliable with YOUR money. Game critics are known to take bribes, friends might not own the games you are looking for/have different opinions of said games, and demos can be used to blind you from the overwhelming negatives a game has. The only REAL way to know if a game is worth playing is to play it yourself. By the time you've done that, you've already committed your $50-$60 to the game.

Well, you can still rent the game if you're patient enough to wait until a few weeks after release, and by friends I meant something like friends who own the game and who would let you play it for a couple of hours
My point is that buying a game you won't be able to enjoy a single bit is just hardly to accomplish, at least if you inform yourself decently before.

 

[Signa]

Well, you can still rent the game if you're patient enough to wait until a few weeks after release, and by friends I meant something like friends who own the game and who would let you play it for a couple of hours
My point is that buying a game you won't be able to enjoy a single bit is just hardly to accomplish, at least if you inform yourself decently before.

Yeah, but why wait, or even rent at all since you have to worry about timely returns if you can just nab it for free, same day. It's all the same to the game makers anyway. A rented game is still a lost sale. Also, good luck on finding PC game rentals.

I'm not gonna lie. I download games on a regular basis. I make up for it by buying the games that are worth it though, and my standards are a little on the low side. It doesn't happen very often where I pirate a game, and then play it, love it, and then not buy it. If that does happen, I feel quite guilty about it. There have been quite a few examples of how piracy solidified my sale. I downloaded the new Puzzle Quest the other month, and I only played it for about 5 minutes before I jumped onto Amazon and bought a copy. It was great too, because of pirating it, I didn't have to wait for it to arrive to play it.

On the flip-side, I downloaded Wii Quantum of Solace, and played it for 5 minutes before turning it off. I can't say I was really interested in the game before I pirated it, but now I got to be sure that I didn't want it.

 

[capnjack]

This is a damn shame and people should be protesting. Don't you all see how much power corporations have over our legislators? It's never about what's right - it's about what the rich want, so they can protect their own interests.

Bad, bad, bad. Sweden was the one place where CUSTOMERS weren't treated like criminals, and had some basic freedoms. When will people wake up and start fighting for their rights? Does it have to get really bad first?

 

[GothmogII]

Oh come on! Swedish Pirate Party! What? Too easy? Pfft...still think that's one of the stupidest names for an anti piracy group ever. (Still pretty funny too though xD) For goodness sake, they've even got a ship's flag for a logo! Slap a skull and crossbones on it, maybe hand out some parrots and eyepatches...

 

[Lord Krunk]

"dealing with illegal file-sharing is a job for the police. It is their job to enforce the law. Now we have given private corporations the legal right to go after our civilians. That's not how Western democracies work."

Seeming as the police aren't doing that great a job at it, I condone this new law wholeheartedly.

Finally, an anti-piracy measure that looks promising!