Its wrong to dl and burn games but...

[Drewbacca]

I have to admit that burning CDs illegally is not something I do frequently, although I used to in the early days of the PSX. You are, in essence, not paying for something you should be -- stealing. In a more logical sense, would you of even payed for the game if you had to? Most people would say no, depending on the game.

For me, it comes down to quality. Do the people DESERVE my money? Does Hooters Road Trip deserve the 80 bucks CND I worked to play their game. Or 5 I payed to rent the title. I would say no, and if I wanted to play it I would burn it. Unfortunetly for me I'm getting into this great industry of ours and have gotten out of the habit, with only wanted modded systems for DEV kit purposes, and they're impossible to obtain. (especially from those jackasses at Sony!)

In the end, I have no right to judge you, really and it's your life. But as a rule of thumb I tend to buy games that deserve money. Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid, Tony Hawk Pro Skater, GTA, Metroid, Mario, Mark of Kri, Tenchu, et cetera.

Games like Hooters Road Trip and The Lord of the Ring: The Fellowship of the Ring don't deserve sales from me, or even rental fees, so I don't think I'm cheating a company of something I otherwise wouldn't buy.

I don't know. It's all about morals, justify yourself or not. I try, but now that I don't, it's not an issue. (although I haven't for years on end)

[Mzo]

...

Why would you want to play shitty games?

[Psx]

Originally posted by burgundy
You can't download MP3s of songs you own on CD, either. It's illegal.

Actually that is 100% legal my friend, and I am sure on that one

[Melf]

Originally posted by Mzo

Then again, if a product isn't available in the states, then the company that made them doesn't want your money anyway. That's a better rationalization than "they're too expensive."

My thoughts exactly. I'm not going to feel bad because I burned a Skies of Arcadia compilation (with songs not on the OST) when the company that makes it doesn't even distribute it in my region! They don't want to sell it to me, so I'm going to burn it.

IMO, I own the game and am burning the music for my own enjoyment, not to sell or even give away. If that's wrong, well then...tough shit. I'll start buying OSTs when they're made available as more than just an occasional item in an import store.

[Drewbacca]

Originally posted by Mzo
...

Why would you want to play shitty games?

To try them out. Since it's no - low cost for me, I have nothing to lose but like 2 bucks. Better than 5 to not own and 80 to own.

[burgundy]

Originally posted by Mzo
So, by that logic, do you steal cars, as well?

That's a stupid comparison. If you steal a car, someone is out a car, and that someone may physically attack you while or after you steal the car. If you download an album, you haven't deprived anyone of anything. It may still be illegal, but the reasons behind the prohibition of physical theft just don't apply to illegal copying.

Originally posted by Andrew
Games like Hooters Road Trip and The Lord of the Ring: The Fellowship of the Ring don't deserve sales from me, or even rental fees, so I don't think I'm cheating a company of something I otherwise wouldn't buy.

This is the most pertinent yet ignored argument in current copyright jurisprudence. My college roommate had gigs upon gigs of illegal MP3s on his hard drive. Does anyone really think he would have gone out and bought all that music if he didn't have Napster and a T3? Yet, when courts award damages, they often assume that pirate use equates one-to-one with lost sales.

[Josh]

Originally posted by johnk_
i've done it before, so i'm not gonna say it's wrong, but if i really like a soundtrack, i'll usually go out of my way to buy it.

Me too.

[burgundy]

Originally posted by Psx
Actually that is 100% legal my friend, and I am sure on that one

Nope. You can *upload* music to your PC by ripping MP3s from your CDs, but you cannot *download* MP3s protected by copyright whether you own a copy of the CD or not. Such a use does not constitute a fair use. UMG Recordings, Inc. v. MP3.com, Inc., 92 F. Supp. 2d 349 (S.D.N.Y., 2000).

[Schlep]

I agree with what burgundy says. Speaking as someone who's soon to be a dirt poor college student, this isn't as simple as people try to make it out to be. For the past 4 years while I worked for a living, I've purchased everything that's interested me, be it a game, music or DVD.

A few months from now, when I will have to literally eat Ramen for a few days just to be able to buy that one brand new game a month that I just can't do without, I won't exactly have the funds to buy everything. Will that make me feel bad for downloading MP3's, buying HK DVDs or maybe grabbing some computer games to keep myself entertained? Absolutely not. Like burgundy said, no one actually physically loses anything. I'm not taking a physical copy of anything from anyone, and it doesn't affect companies at all since I'd have to eat Ramen every single day to even come close to supporting my habits...and then I'd die of malnutrition and they'd lose money in the long run anyway.

This issue is always turned into a black and white moral dilemma, and I think there's alot more grey than people are willing or capable of admitting.

[Nobita]

Uh games and music are both copyrighted material. What makes copying one any less "wrong" than the other?