Ok, I will admit this is inspired by the "Don't Copy That part 2" video that was just put up. One thing I noticed throughout was the fact they us the word "copy" as if it was synonymous with "pirate" or "steal". Then it occured to me that part of the endless debating on piracy could stem from a simple misunderstanding of what other people mean when they use the term.
If I want to copy a disk (game, program, etc.) that I have purchased, I am within my legal rights to do so. That is all a back-up is, after all. I can't count the number of programs I have that I no longer have the original disks for because the were somehow damaged or lost, but I still retain a copy of so that I can continue to use the program. I'm sure many other responsible people make multiple back-ups of software for emergency use, both on-line and off-line.
Similarly, who among us hasn't bought a video game/cd/movie, played it, and then loaned it to a friend we thought would also love said item, or vice versa. This, as well, is perfectly within one's legal rights.
I also believe we can all (for the most part) agree that what the guy at the end of the video did (stealing bank account information, making fake ebay/paypal accounts, and then selling illegal copies of games on-line for money) is blatant piracy, as well as a few other serious crimes. From this I believe we can all also agree that if I sell a game/program that I have a back-up of, the responsible thing to do would be to either give the person who is buying from me all copies that I have made, or to destroy them after the sale.
In my opinion, the line starts getting hazy when the two are mixed. If I buy (let's say for argument's sake) Fallout 3, make a back-up disk, play it, enjoy it, then loan it to a friend, am I suddenly guilty of piracy? How much leeway do I have? This is the grey area, and I think where most people get confused/argumentative. So, to help get a reading on this, I have decided to put up a poll.
Where, in your opinion, is the line crossed? What is your right as a consumer, and at what point have you overstepped your bounds. If you have any sort of outside information, legal or otherwise, please link it. Well developed arguments are desired here.
Disclaimer 1: I apologize if this has been done before, but I was unable to find anything relevant with the search bar. Granted, there was a lot of other topics to wade through, but I did my best.
Disclaimer 2: This is not meant to be a discussion on the legality of piracy, whether we should use the term piracy or some other term, companies attempts to prevent piracy, whether or not piracy is ever justified, etc, nor is it intended to condone piracy in any form. This is just meant to get a gage on what the average gamer thinks piracy actually is. All statements made in my post are reflective only of my opinion and possible limited knowledge on the subject, and should not be taken as statements of cold hard facts unless otherwise stated. I have been known to be wrong. Please read the post in full detail before commenting.
If I want to copy a disk (game, program, etc.) that I have purchased, I am within my legal rights to do so. That is all a back-up is, after all. I can't count the number of programs I have that I no longer have the original disks for because the were somehow damaged or lost, but I still retain a copy of so that I can continue to use the program. I'm sure many other responsible people make multiple back-ups of software for emergency use, both on-line and off-line.
Similarly, who among us hasn't bought a video game/cd/movie, played it, and then loaned it to a friend we thought would also love said item, or vice versa. This, as well, is perfectly within one's legal rights.
I also believe we can all (for the most part) agree that what the guy at the end of the video did (stealing bank account information, making fake ebay/paypal accounts, and then selling illegal copies of games on-line for money) is blatant piracy, as well as a few other serious crimes. From this I believe we can all also agree that if I sell a game/program that I have a back-up of, the responsible thing to do would be to either give the person who is buying from me all copies that I have made, or to destroy them after the sale.
In my opinion, the line starts getting hazy when the two are mixed. If I buy (let's say for argument's sake) Fallout 3, make a back-up disk, play it, enjoy it, then loan it to a friend, am I suddenly guilty of piracy? How much leeway do I have? This is the grey area, and I think where most people get confused/argumentative. So, to help get a reading on this, I have decided to put up a poll.
Where, in your opinion, is the line crossed? What is your right as a consumer, and at what point have you overstepped your bounds. If you have any sort of outside information, legal or otherwise, please link it. Well developed arguments are desired here.
Disclaimer 1: I apologize if this has been done before, but I was unable to find anything relevant with the search bar. Granted, there was a lot of other topics to wade through, but I did my best.
Disclaimer 2: This is not meant to be a discussion on the legality of piracy, whether we should use the term piracy or some other term, companies attempts to prevent piracy, whether or not piracy is ever justified, etc, nor is it intended to condone piracy in any form. This is just meant to get a gage on what the average gamer thinks piracy actually is. All statements made in my post are reflective only of my opinion and possible limited knowledge on the subject, and should not be taken as statements of cold hard facts unless otherwise stated. I have been known to be wrong. Please read the post in full detail before commenting.