Would it be considered piracy...

Ed Kolis · #1 June 26th, 2002, 09:48 PM

... to give my original SE4 CD to a friend but still continue playing Version 1.49? I have SE4 Gold so I still own a legitimate copy of the game, it's just a later Version... I'm asking because I kept my original CD rather than destroy it for the $15 discount on Gold because I thought my brother's friend would like the game, so I wanted to give it to him instead of just destroying it, but I'm currently in the middle of a PBW game in Version 1.49, and it doesn't look like I'll be eliminated very soon. I ordinarily wouldn't give it this much thought, but I'm currently on probation and even a traffic violation can get me 6 months in county jail!

Thanks!

geoschmo · #2 June 26th, 2002, 10:08 PM

I don't know if it fits the strict legal definition of piracy, but I think it would be a violation of the license agreement. Typically with software if you give the disk away or sell it you are supposed to delete any copies of it.

Of course as someone mentioned the Last time this came up, where is the license agreement? I never noticed before, but there doesn't seem to be one with SEIV anywhere.

Geoschmo

Jmenschenfresser · #3 June 26th, 2002, 10:11 PM

This sounds a lot like the ordeal with Napster and Metallica, for those who followed it. Some said they were splitting hairs when they endorsed tape swapping, but sued for mp3 swapping. Their reason? Well, tape swapping is among fans, and broadens their fan base. It's local. It's small. It's grassroots. There's no mass rip off. No outside corporations involved. They claimed tape swapping gave them their original start.

Seems to me this is the same thing. By giving, loaning your copy, you are really just opening SE4 (and Shrapnel) up to new people. Word of mouth is more loyal than anything in my view.

What I am trying to say is, you have Lars on your side.

sachmo · #4 June 26th, 2002, 10:30 PM

Here is the stock answer on multiple copies of games. Many license agreements currently allow you to install software on as many computers as you want, as long as only one copy is running at a given time. On the other hand, you do own SEIV and Gold. So, you can sell, or give, your original copy to your friend, ask him to let you know when he is going to play it so that you won't be breaking the license agreement, and then once your PBEM game is done, remove 1.49. That is conditional, of course, on the license agreement being worded in this way. Some license agreements don't allow you to install the software on more than one computer without permission from the publisher.

If you want to be safe, give your friend the copy of 1.49 and remove it from your computer. OR, tell your friend to hang on for a month or so. then give him the software when you are finished with you PBEM game. Or write Shrapnel and ask for permission. In all situations, you are covered.

Baron Munchausen · #5 June 26th, 2002, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jmenschenfresser:
This sounds a lot like the ordeal with Napster and Metallica, for those who followed it. Some said they were splitting hairs when they endorsed tape swapping, but sued for mp3 swapping. Their reason? Well, tape swapping is among fans, and broadens their fan base. It's local. It's small. It's grassroots. There's no mass rip off. No outside corporations involved. They claimed tape swapping gave them their original start.

Seems to me this is the same thing. By giving, loaning your copy, you are really just opening SE4 (and Shrapnel) up to new people. Word of mouth is more loyal than anything in my view.

What I am trying to say is, you have Lars on your side.

I think you will find that tape swapping eventually leads to CD sales. The quality of a tape is poor to begin with, gets poorer with use as the tape wears out, and copies are even poorer. So you will be eventually forced to buy a CD if you start with tapes. Digital copies in the form of CD copies or (gasp!) downloadable MP3 files are different. They don't 'wear out' in any signifigant sense. The sound quality is just as good the 10,000th time you play it as the 1st time. Apparently CDs do break down after a while (decades, though) but you can easily make a new copy on new media that will be just as good as the original.

It's not hard to see why Lars likes tape copying but not CD copying.

[ June 26, 2002, 23:57: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

TerranC · #6 June 27th, 2002, 12:42 AM

Back in the wee days:

Gallieo made a telescope
Backed up Corpernicus's theory
Got burned by the christian church

Now to the present:

Dropout made Napster
Made swapping faster and wider
Got burned by RIAA

I'm not saying that this is a revolutionary way in computer technology, but I'm saying that history repeats.

geoschmo · #7 June 27th, 2002, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TerranC:
Back in the wee days:

Gallieo made a telescope
Backed up Corpernicus's theory
Got burned by the christian church

Now to the present:

Dropout made Napster
Made swapping faster and wider
Got burned by RIAA

I'm not saying that this is a revolutionary way in computer technology, but I'm saying that history repeats.

Oh, yeah. Those two are exactly the same.

Well, except that Gallio's discovery didn't enable people steal stuff.

But except for that they are the same.

sheesh.

Geo

Shadowstar · #8 June 27th, 2002, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by geoschmo:
Well, except that Gallio's discovery didn't enable people steal stuff.
[/QB]

Not yet, anyway.

I know some people that are just itchin' to steal the moons of Jupiter.

Baron Munchausen · #9 June 27th, 2002, 02:27 AM

Actually, the previous revolution in the music industry is the best comparison. It used to be that people bought sheet music & played songs for themselves on pianos or other instruments. So, the authors of songs were the 'superstars' of those days. When vinyl records and radio broadcasts came along ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) was paranoid because people could hear ONE person's performance and not have to pay individually for it. They went into the same 'make everything illegal' tirade that RIAA and MPAA are repeating today. But of course people liked the new technology too much.

It took a while for new business models to be worked out but we did finally get a reasonably stable system that worked well enough for several decades. Given that there is no way to reverse the technology I think RIAA and MPAA will have to settle for a new business model themselves eventually.

Puke · #10 June 27th, 2002, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shadowstar:

quote:
Originally posted by geoschmo:
Well, except that Gallio's discovery didn't enable people steal stuff.

Not yet, anyway.

I know some people that are just itchin' to steal the moons of Jupiter.[/QB]

dont look in MY appartment, but whens the Last time you actually SAW the moons of jupiter? yep, thats what i thought. and if you ever want to see them AGAIN...