Is copy protection fair?

[Solver]

EULAs usually allow a backup copy. But the CD protection prevents you from easily doing that, so there you have a mess.

As for your argument about legality, I think a lawyer's answer would be that they aren't selling you content. It'd be something like they're selling the rights to use one specific copy of that content, or something lawyer-ish like that.

[Keygen]

But what granting the right to use a copy of content really means? Does copy means the physical medium that hosts content or the non-physical content (computer software in particular) or both?

The developer makes the content, the software that is, and the publisher/distributor makes it available in the market. The publisher/distributor does not manufacture the physical disk, that is outsourced as far as I know so it is clear the developer/publisher/distributor is producing/distributing/selling content that is delivered in a physical medium.

So the question is whether it is legal to restrict access to the content, to legitimate buyers, who are supposed to be granted the right for using it.

[Solver]

Again, I'm sure a lawyer would have an explanation. Though it's more like weaseling as to why corporations can own you . So, from a legal perspective, they wouldn't be restricting your right to use the content, because there's something silly like your rights being tied in to that particular medium.

After all, strictly speaking, if you buy a book, you own that one copy, if you lose it, you wouldn't be able to get access to the contents without paying for another medium. If you lose/break your game CD, you can typically get a replacement for a cost much smaller than the game itself.

[Keygen]

Originally posted by Solver

After all, strictly speaking, if you buy a book, you own that one copy, if you lose it, you wouldn't be able to get access to the contents without paying for another medium.

Unless you photocopy that book

[Solver]

Which is the same as making a backup copy of a game. Though I'd say anyone who photocopies every book he owns has some serious issues .

[Keygen]

Are we arguing for the sake of arguing?

[Solver]

I'm not arguing, arguably .

[Dis]

necessary evil. What scares me is all the companies are going to crappy MMORPG's and other online games because they can't be pirated (or not easily I think). I'm just afraid most companies will stop making games for PC's unless they are online games.

[Solver]

There's still plenty of demand for offline games, fortunately. Though MMORPGs are a cash-cow, with their subscription costs and all.

[Robert]

I think that copy protection keeps a large bunk of people from 'stealing' the game.
Of course, the more experienced gamers know how to get around the copy protection, but most casual gamers (and they are the majority) will most probably hate it to figure it out and just buy the game.

If copy protection wouldn't work, companies wouldn't use it.

[Tattila the Hun]

Originally posted by Solver


As for your argument about legality, I think a lawyer's answer would be that they aren't selling you content. It'd be something like they're selling the rights to use one specific copy of that content, or something lawyer-ish like that.

I seem to recall, that, for example, german law implicitly states, that you are infact buying the game; the software, medium, and lisence, the whole shishkabob. IIRC, DQMOT.

[Adagio]

There's been plenty of research on this, and AFAIK all of them showed that protecting games only has little influence on sales
There have been 'many' successful games with little to none copy protection, it seems like the best way to stop piracy is by making great games, not by making it a pain in the a** to start the game

I remember back in the old days when the first pages of the manual always told me to make a backup of the game, now they say that if you make a backup they'll sue your a** and send hitmen to take you out

[Cyrus The Mike]

Originally posted by jbp26
necessary evil, the creators have every right to protect their investment.

I don't know man, he does make a good point.

[fed1943]

The solution is to recognize the buyer to replace the broken media

by a new one, paying just the mail and CD/DVD/whatever costs.

Best regards,

[Keygen]

Originally posted by CyberShy

I think that copy protection keeps a large bunk of people from 'stealing' the game.
Of course, the more experienced gamers know how to get around the copy protection, but most casual gamers (and they are the majority) will most probably hate it to figure it out and just buy the game.

If copy protection wouldn't work, companies wouldn't use it.

It certainly keeps some people from coping a game they don't own but how exactly do you know they are a lot?

Yes, there is a large amount of people that doesn't bother figuring out the technical stuff, probably the vast majority, but this is not something new, I mean people generally don't bother figuring out almost anything that is why expert exist and are payed good

These people though could not buy the game at all or ask another friend/colleague/people to do it or show the way in easy steps.

And it doesn't mean because companies use it, it actually works. How exactly do they know it works? Have they released a crappy game recently that went well because it had good copy protection or a good game that went bad because it had poor to none copy protection?