UK Anti-Piracy Campaign - Blue's News Comments

UK Anti-Piracy Campaign
[Aug 20, 2008, 07:43 am ET] – Share – Viewing Comments

Times Online has news that five developers, Atari, Topware Interactive, Reality Pump, Techland, and Codemasters, are serving notice to 25,000 UK families demanding they pay a settlement, or risk being taken to court over software piracy (thanks Edge Online). Here's a portion:

The computer games industry has launched an unprecedented assault on illegal downloads, demanding payment from thousands of families who obtained the latest releases over the internet without paying.

Five of the world’s top games developers will serve notice on 25,000 people across the UK, requiring each one to pay £300 immediately to settle out of court. Those who refuse risk being taken to court. The companies will target their initial legal actions on 500 people who ignore the letters.

The companies involved – Atari, Topware Interactive, Reality Pump, Techland and Codemasters – make some of the popular games, including The Lord of the Rings, the Colin McRae Rally series and Operation Flashpoint. It is estimated that as many as six million people in Britain share games illegally over the internet. The aggressive action marks a dramatic change in the approach to copyright on the internet. The British music industry, hit hard by illegal file-sharing, has taken action against just 150 people in ten years.

The game makers have appointed the law firm Davenport Lyons. This week Isabela Barwinska, an unemployed mother of two, became the first person in the UK to be ordered to pay damages to a manufacturer. She must pay more than £16,000 to Topware after downloading Dream Pinball through a file-sharing site.

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46.

Re: ...
Aug 20, 2008, 14:24

Jerykk

46.

Re: ... Aug 20, 2008, 14:24

Aug 20, 2008, 14:24

Jerykk

The most obvious difference is the freedom you have is to carry firearms, which simply results in high fatalities and countless school / mall / workplace shootings. I personally oppose a "freedom" that puts people at risk and results in tens of thousands of fatalities (not counting suicides).

Whoa there, that's pretty horribly inaccurate.

Here are some nice facts:

1. Gun laws vary from state to state.
2. Shooting sprees occur more often in places that have strict gun laws.
3. Most gun-related crimes are performed with guns that were illegally obtained.

Quite frankly, if everybody were required to carry a gun, gun crimes (and crime in general) would be greatly reduced. Guns are a deterrent and an equalizer. Somebody is far less likely to mess with you if they think you have a gun. It's the same principle behind nukes. If only one country had nukes, all the unarmed countries would be at its mercy. When every country has nukes, nobody wants to risk the consequences of actually using them. Simply put, gun laws won't stop a criminal from getting a gun. They just make it less risky for him to use it.

I wish these lawsuits would put an end to piracy. Then when companies put out shitty games they'd have no one else to blame but themselves...

No, they would just blame the customers and say things like "Oh, our game is just too ambitious and innovative. People fear new things." Refer to Dennis Dyack for more examples of such douchebaggery.

This comment was edited on Aug 20, 14:26.