No CD cracks for games, legal or not?

[Lonyo]

Yet another reason why you should buy Epic and Valve software.
UT, UT2004, HL2/CSS, HL etc <-- none of those require the original media to be in a drive to be played.

 

[Smilin]

Originally posted by: Lonyo
Yet another reason why you should buy Epic and Valve software.
UT, UT2004, HL2/CSS, HL etc <-- none of those require the original media to be in a drive to be played.

Yep.

id software always puts no-cd patchs in their software soon after the initial sales have fallen.

 

[homercles337]

No-cd cracks are NOT illegal as others have said. If you use them to distribute SW that has been copy protected then it is an infringement, but otherwise its totally legal AND moral.

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: homercles337
No-cd cracks are NOT illegal as others have said. If you use them to distribute SW that has been copy protected then it is an infringement, but otherwise its totally legal AND moral.

Originally posted by: KruptosAngelos
It's illegal actually. It's against the law to bypass copy protection.

 

[Cawchy87]

Guns. Illigal or Legal?

Legal, but used for Illigal acts.

Same goes for cd cracks.

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: Cawchy87
Guns. Illigal or Legal?

Legal, but used for Illigal acts.

Same goes for cd cracks.

Wrong, wrong, and wrong.

 

[Elcs]

Originally posted by: KruptosAngelos

Originally posted by: Cawchy87
Guns. Illigal or Legal?

Legal, but used for Illigal acts.

Same goes for cd cracks.

Wrong, wrong, and wrong.

Im sitting here looking at the whole thread. Full to the brim with opinions.

Not much evidence going around to back anything up though. From a legal standpoint, I cant say yay or nay but Morally, I think they are acceptable.

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: Elcs
Im sitting here looking at the whole thread. Full to the brim with opinions.

Not much evidence going around to back anything up though. From a legal standpoint, I cant say yay or nay but Morally, I think they are acceptable.

It's illegal to bypass copy protection on just about anything, why should it be any different for games?

 

[Smilin]

Originally posted by: Elcs

Originally posted by: KruptosAngelos

Originally posted by: Cawchy87
Guns. Illigal or Legal?

Legal, but used for Illigal acts.

Same goes for cd cracks.

Wrong, wrong, and wrong.

Im sitting here looking at the whole thread. Full to the brim with opinions.

Not much evidence going around to back anything up though. From a legal standpoint, I cant say yay or nay but Morally, I think they are acceptable.

If it is a non-copy protected CD with no forbidding EULA then it's perfectly legal...

That's rare these days though.

From a fair-use standpoint it's perfectly legal to use a No-CD crack.
The DMCA forbids bypassing copy protection, so if technology is used to make the CD-copy proof and you're bypassing it via No-CD crack then you are violating the DMCA. Almost every game does this now. Further more the EULA typically forbids modifying the program but this varies from EULA to EULA. Some don't like it, but EULAs have been upheld in court numerous times.

Morally - I use them, but I'll be the first guy to give you sh1t if you make copies of your games. You all know what right and wrong is. Everyone just do what's right and don't be dicks Pay for what you use and you'll sleep sound at night.

 

[homercles337]

Originally posted by: KruptosAngelos

Originally posted by: Elcs
Im sitting here looking at the whole thread. Full to the brim with opinions.

Not much evidence going around to back anything up though. From a legal standpoint, I cant say yay or nay but Morally, I think they are acceptable.

It's illegal to bypass copy protection on just about anything, why should it be any different for games?

NO ITS NOT! Do you understand what the word copy protection means? Copying is fine, distributing for a fee is not fine (have you even read the damn thing?). If i buy software and want to copy it for personal use that is LEGAL. Distribute for personal gain, ILLEGAL. Get it?

 

[SelArom]

if you're asking if it IS illegal, I say probably

if you're asking if it SHOULD BE illegal, I say hell no.

-SelArom

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
There arent any LAWS which prevent you from using them.
Many EULA have statements saying they cant be used. But several courts have already ruled that EULA are not a legal contract.
You cant state any terms you like and have it be a legal document because someone clicked "YES".

You need to have verified signatures and witnesses.

I have an RPG book that says on the first page:
"No Part of this publication may be scanned, OCRed, or reproduced in any way."
Well, sorry guys but no dice. The law says I may back up ANY medium I have payed for. VHS, Beta, LaserDisc, DVD, CD, cassette, games, books, magazines, ROMS, whatever.
But, there are no laws saying they have to make it easy for me.
If they choose to use copy protections of various sorts (to stop or slow me down), thats their right.
Id is perfectly justified in scanning your system for Clone CD prior to installing Doom 3. They can set it up to not install the game if I dont get rid of any programs they dont like. And there isnt sh1t I can do except try to hack the installer.
Which is also legal. I would have to run the setup program in order to see the EULA and then I would have to agree to it for a normal installation.

But the copy of Doom 3 I bought is MINE. To do with as I see fit. However, I cannot sell the original or edited Doom 3. That would be making money off someone elses work, which is copyright infringement.
But so many corporations with expensive lawyers would like you to believe otherwise.
DONT LET THEM BRAINWASH YOU. They still have a great deal of politicians to bribe before we lose our rights completetly.
Oh and keygens are probably illegal. At using them.

End Of Rant.

P.S. I find some older win98 games wont run at all unless I use a hacked executable. Homeworld Cataclysm for one.

EDIT: I took so long another person made a post before me. Yes the EULA says many things. Even if it were a legal document, I would still have to run it and agree to it. Which isnt needed if I plan on hacking executables.

In addition, i believe some courts have found that a user cannot legally agree to a contract in which the information they are agreeing to is contained entirely within a package that is non-refundable.

For instance, when you buy a game, the first time your likely to read the EULA is once the game is installing or in the manual, since the package is open, you will not be able to say no to the agreement without being out the money you spent on the game.

 

[ShadowBlade]

so...
agreeing that its moral and not necisarilly legal
i dont like going to crack sites, i went to one once, downloaded like 2 no cd cracks and my comp was loaded with malware/adware/spyware
how would i make my own?

 

[StrangerGuy]

CD checks are so annoying to legal users, and so ineffective in stopping piracy, so what's the point? There is already the best anti-piracy method IMO : cdkey-protected MP mode.

 

[sparkyclarky]

under the DMCA it's illegal to circumvent copy protection schemes, and I suppose you could argue that by using a no-CD crack you're circumventing the basic copy protection scheme of requiring a disc in the drive

However, much like the situation of backing up your personally owned DVDs, you may need to break the law to enforce your fair use rights, so you exist in a sort of legal grey area

 

[TantrumusMaximus]

Wouldn't GameCopyWorld.com or Megagames.com be brought down overnight if it was Illegal? The FIRST thing I do after buying a game is run to these sites, back up my original exe (so I don't need to reinstall to patch) and replace that exe with the hacked one. It think it is perfectly moral and fair. I bought it, I don't want to keep swapping it in and out or get scratched.

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: KruptosAngelos

Originally posted by: Elcs
Im sitting here looking at the whole thread. Full to the brim with opinions.

Not much evidence going around to back anything up though. From a legal standpoint, I cant say yay or nay but Morally, I think they are acceptable.

It's illegal to bypass copy protection on just about anything, why should it be any different for games?

NO ITS NOT! Do you understand what the word copy protection means? Copying is fine, distributing for a fee is not fine (have you even read the damn thing?). If i buy software and want to copy it for personal use that is LEGAL. Distribute for personal gain, ILLEGAL. Get it?

It is only legal to make a backup copy if you do not bypass the copy protection in the process, do you need me to provide links to what everyone else already knows? Bypassing copy protection is illegal.