A CD key doesnt protect against piracy
- Thread starter Bengaboy
- Start date
Only with the owners permission, which if you check most software EULA & copywright statements on CD and DVD covers etc it is not permitted.
See here: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/copy.htm
Copy write protection just isn't worth it, they could spend a fortune developing it and paying for algorithms, which will then be cracked by a 14 quid in an hour.
2000/20 = 100 * 8 is £800......yup, replacing all that would definately break my bank.
The money making methods for these things changes, personally i think advertising will be the way forward with music/games.
Say an album has 20 tracks on it (damn rare theres often something like 12). I have 2000 songs in media player (not a huge music database by any rate).
2000/20 = 100 * 8 is £800......yup, replacing all that would definately break my bank.
The money making methods for these things changes, personally i think advertising will be the way forward with music/games.
Although whether EULA etc are legally enforceable is very debatable. IMHO, by adding that extra 'unless barred by contract' provision they have incorrectly implemented the directive and thus it'd be interesting what would happen if it ever went to the Commission for an opinion.DaveMac said:
@Tefal - Hamachi is not an infringing piece of software. It is only infringing if it is 'specifically' designed to circumvent copyright protection - not just if it happens to. Even if it does circumvent copyright protection then it only infringes if there are not significant legitimate uses (as there are for Hitachi). EVEN THEN it's very easily arguable that this software does not circumvent anything - you're not circumventing the copyright protection that stops you from playing online through their servers - you're just not playing online (you're playing over VPN instead). It would be like saying that someone is circumventing the protection by just not playing online - which is obviously incorrect.
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Thanks for letting me know, didn't actually know that bit.
Good point actually, an EULA is not a legally binding contract. I keep saying this but: Copyright law in this country is completely and utterly confusing, maybe even loony, and I seriously think that it needs an overhaul.
lol @ compounding an error ulfhedjinn.
I'd disagree that copyright law needs an overhaul though. It's BECAUSE it's overhauled so many times that its so confusing. The CDPA is one of the longest acts on the statute book exactly because it contains so many amendments due to Directives.
EDIT: Just for clarity - I didn't say an EULA isn't a legally binding contract - just that it may not be - it's debateable.
I'd disagree that copyright law needs an overhaul though. It's BECAUSE it's overhauled so many times that its so confusing. The CDPA is one of the longest acts on the statute book exactly because it contains so many amendments due to Directives.
EDIT: Just for clarity - I didn't say an EULA isn't a legally binding contract - just that it may not be - it's debateable.
Actually it is illegal as yo are circumventing copy protection, which is why, even if you legally went out and bought a dvd then used program to make the copy which you are legally allowed to make, you used the program to circumvent he copy protection so in fact you broke the law
Not really as i havent modified anything and just using a standard mp feature (lan) instead of tcp/ip. No law says u cant use lan, no law says how u use lan options either so no im not and no one else is breakin the law with hamachi.
Kiddin aint you? Theres hacked/cracked servers for god knows how many games.
Even games you're supposed to subscribe to mate!
I downloaded CoD4. Thought it was fab. Bought it and now play online.
I downloaded the latest NFS, played it for 10mins, thought it sucked, deleted it.
(yes i could have downloaded the demo, but it was already 'out')
Imo, if every single game out there was on steam, id just use that.
Especially if they had a try the full game for 3 hours, then you gotta pay if you wanna keep it type scheme. (since steam counts up your play time)
Hamachi is not illegal, its nothing more than a networking tool, i use it fairly often to access stuff on my home PC from work.
As for NoCD cracks, every game i own (and i mean own, not ripped
) if its got/needs one, i'm using it.
No that isn't legal i know, but you know what? I don't care. Just because some tight fisted scoundrel cant be bothered to pay, doesn't mean i'm gonna put up with the extra convenience if i don't have to
I downloaded the latest NFS, played it for 10mins, thought it sucked, deleted it.
(yes i could have downloaded the demo, but it was already 'out')
Imo, if every single game out there was on steam, id just use that.
Especially if they had a try the full game for 3 hours, then you gotta pay if you wanna keep it type scheme. (since steam counts up your play time)
Hamachi is not illegal, its nothing more than a networking tool, i use it fairly often to access stuff on my home PC from work.
As for NoCD cracks, every game i own (and i mean own, not ripped
) if its got/needs one, i'm using it.No that isn't legal i know, but you know what? I don't care. Just because some tight fisted scoundrel cant be bothered to pay, doesn't mean i'm gonna put up with the extra convenience if i don't have to
im completely with you angle to be honest. id rather demo the FULL game for a few hours. Maybes I wont bother purchasing and deem the thing as rubbish and delete or maybes just leave it stored away somewhere with the chance someone will want to play it over lan or something(people end up buyin stuff they try on lan with me, a lot of us wound up with C+C first decade, a fair few wound up with battlefield games etc)
I find having to use NoCD cracks a pain, having to get a new one everyime theres a patch, or having to set aside loadsss of room for my mini images, which are required for online play for my BOUGHT games. blooomin annoyin!
Tell you what, im gutted i never downloaded pes08 and tried it for a bit, i thought theyd improve on the demo, dear god but i think i found the demo more fun!
I find having to use NoCD cracks a pain, having to get a new one everyime theres a patch, or having to set aside loadsss of room for my mini images, which are required for online play for my BOUGHT games. blooomin annoyin!
Tell you what, im gutted i never downloaded pes08 and tried it for a bit, i thought theyd improve on the demo, dear god but i think i found the demo more fun!
My personal view is piracy isnt all bad. I mainly play multiplayer games, the only exception to this being Football Manager 08. I think "some people" often download PC games to actually use them as a larger demo and to get a better feel for the game itself. If "some people" like the features of the full game then they'll go out and buy the full game legally. If "some people" find the game that is going to potentially cost them upto £45 is full of bugs and isnt quite what they wanted then thats money saved by the customer. Better it be in my pocket then theirs. "Some people" have bought 10 games in the last 12months using the above process ive mentioned. BF2, CoD4, HL2 etc.
At the end of the day if a game "some people" have downloaded is good, they'll buy it. If its pap they wont. All the games designers have to do is make good games!
PS "Some people" might feel out of pocket having just purchased FM08 to find it has more bugs then a rotting carcass!!! Release a half finished product, good plan!! then whine about piracy.
At the end of the day if a game "some people" have downloaded is good, they'll buy it. If its pap they wont. All the games designers have to do is make good games!
PS "Some people" might feel out of pocket having just purchased FM08 to find it has more bugs then a rotting carcass!!! Release a half finished product, good plan!! then whine about piracy.
People have been saying that for years, but the games industry is still here.
Same goes for movies, same goes for music.
indeed, i hate those piracy adverts at the cinema, going on about poor quality, someone always stands up for toilet, you can hear rustling and giggling etc. DUH cos its filmed in a cinema, possibly the worst place to watch a movie..with hundreds of people!
Soldato
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qfmft
Piracy will never kill the video games industry,
i personally "demo" all games before i buy them, lets face it the people who werent going to pay for the game arent going to anyway and are perfectly happy to wait for it to be cracked. The people who are, will anyway..
Make a game worth buying and it will sell well, there is no proof at all prooving anti-piracy increases sales,
However there is proof that making a good game will, If piracy was killing the industry why is it that every year the number of video game's sold increases, surely in an eviroment where games are cracked almost as soon as they are released the sales figures would be taking a hit?
The industry grew by 1.7 billion this year, and continues to grow
The simple fact of the matter is if a games developer didnt spend endless money on anti-piracy they would make MORE profit as the development cost is lower. See oblivion, it has no copy protection yet siold 1.7 million units on the xbox alone
As long as there are enthusiasts who enjoy cracking copy protection, there will be cracks released to circumvent them.
I've personally just finished reading an article by an economist who suggests, very persuasively, that a certain level of piracy can greatly enhance the overall worth of the market.
He bases this on people valuing a large user base - who would want to play halo online if there were only 2 users? People pirating thus increase the user base making the product more valuable to the person who purchased it - and thus more can be charged. In addition to this the people who pirate are likely to tell at least one friend about the game/software and, as such, act as advertisers for the game/software. This increases the legitimate user base if any of those friends go on to buy a copy.
You thus have:
(legitimate users - users who've turned to pirating + new users)* (price of game * (total users * whatever multiplier the market will support)) = profit
He made it look all far more proffessional than that, but I'm not about to dig out the book that the article's in. The point that was made though is that, theoretically, a market without any copyright protection measures is, economically at least, the most likely to flourish.
He bases this on people valuing a large user base - who would want to play halo online if there were only 2 users? People pirating thus increase the user base making the product more valuable to the person who purchased it - and thus more can be charged. In addition to this the people who pirate are likely to tell at least one friend about the game/software and, as such, act as advertisers for the game/software. This increases the legitimate user base if any of those friends go on to buy a copy.
You thus have:
(legitimate users - users who've turned to pirating + new users)* (price of game * (total users * whatever multiplier the market will support)) = profit
He made it look all far more proffessional than that, but I'm not about to dig out the book that the article's in. The point that was made though is that, theoretically, a market without any copyright protection measures is, economically at least, the most likely to flourish.
Actually, I read an article a couple of months ago about how the Russian and Chinese governments "allegedly" turn a blind eye to piracy. Supposedly piracy is so rampant in those countries that it actually generates momentum in their economies, which as we know are fragile ones.
Just searched around on Google to see if I could find the article but I don't think I came up with the right search terms. If anyone happened to see that article, feel free to link it here.