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Is it ethical to illegally download a game you already own?
Does it depend on the game? On the developer's intentions and/or licensing? On the publisher's intentions and/or licensing? On how the game is available to you (the consumer) for play?
Discuss.
Comments
I don't think it's unethical to illegally download games you don't own, so...
It should be allowed simply because you already paid. If you need another copy for whatever reason, providing it to you shouldn't be a matter of spending more money, much the same way Steam doesn't force you to buy the same game twice if your game ever ends up lost for whatever reason.
If it's not like an updated rerelease or anything, I'd say yeah.
I think, buying a game should actually be a case of buying a licences to the software. Meaning you can make as many personal back ups as you wish.
DYRE: It IS unethical to STEAL from developers. Look, I'm not going to pretend I don't do it (I do) but at least be honest about it. Don't pretend it is okay and do not treat the developers like idiots. You are expecting them to work full time jobs for free, providing you with entertainment for free and that is WRONG.
I mean, feel free to do it, I don't really care, and I've downloaded plenty of games that were outdated systems (like the NEs).
My view of when piracy is ethical:
With digital distribution being a thing even on consoles, I don't see why this is an issue. If you already bought a copy for yourself, there should be nothing stopping you from downloading another one in case you lose your original or want to install it on another system.
^^ What about trying out a game? Is that ethical?
If you're buying a game that you're not sure is your taste, that technically isn't a perfect market equilibrium; that's a producer surplus--basically, the producer is getting more money than if perfect and complete information were available to all producers and consumers. That said, I'm not sure how much the game industry actually depends on these sorts of sales for revenue.
Piracy is not theft. Piracy is piracy.
To quote and/or paraphrase Extra Credits, take the high road and write a letter to the publisher saying that you didn't buy their game because they didn't put out a demo. If publishers received letters like that from even a tenth of the people who pirate games just to try them out, they'd be damn sure to start putting out demos.
Thing is, it does take time and money for the developer to produce a demo. It's arguably more efficient for the developer if the consumer just downloads a copy of the game unofficially--it requires neither additional work from the developer nor (usually) even their bandwidth.
This, however, also carries two risks:
1. The consumer may enjoy the game and may have been willing to pay but may choose not to buy the game after possessing a fully-working copy.
2. An unofficially-available copy of the game may be flawed, and may screw up the reputation of the game.
Are there any other risks? And how often do these risks play out, and how big of an effect do they have?
That is a fair point, but a demo is a vital part of marketing, and if the developer doesn't budget for marketing...that's probably not a good thing.
I feel like option 1 there is less of a risk and more the most likely outcome, which is why I tend to discourage piracy-as-demo.
I wonder if someone's ever done a study of whether invasive DRM or Chantelise-style "cave your shins in" warnings are more effective at preventing piracy.
Well, DRM actually doesn't work at all, and in some cases encourages piracy, so probably the latter.
Remember that when you buy a game, you're not actually buying a copy of the game -- you're buying a license to play that game. Ergo, it's technically impossible to illegally download a game you already own, since the license has been purchased. Physical copies and data are just a convenience and you're not actually buying the content.
It's all pretty strange stuff. Buying a license for the privilege of playing a game without commentary towards the actual content? Funny business.
Not even that, really; it's more of a license for your computer's memory to make a copy of the game data, which is what makes it possible to play the game. The interaction between software and intellectual property is a weird one.
I personally believe:
1) It's ethical if all sold copies of the game are second hand, and there is no updated release that is still being sold first-hand (i.e. it's unethical to pirate Mega Man X because of the existing iPhone port that is still being distributed first-hand)
2) If you own (or owned) a copy of the game, you are allowed to download only the copy of the game you owned, not any updated releases. (i.e. if you had Mega Man X for SNES, you can pirate the SNES version, but not Maverick Hunter X.)
Not that I actually follow these.
^^, ^^^: Well, technically the license could say that it's only a license to play the game on a certain platform. What if you "own" a license that says that?
I actually softmodded my way because of this. I got one of the first ones that had their lenses broken, so I modded it to play Smash Bros. And then I pirateda bunch of other games
Also, I've pirated Scribblenauts. Found it somewhat fun, did complete it, but it felt incomplete, so I opted not to buy that one, but if they addressed the issues, I'd buy it immediately. Saw Scribblenauts Remix later, saw it was an official app instead of a knockoff, and bought it immediately, not bothering with reviews (I knew Super Scribblenauts fixed the issues, but when that was out I never saw it at the same time I had money for it)
I would have never done that if I didn't pirate the first game. I'd have just passed it by and they wouldn't have gained me as a customer
I can't really answer this because I don't know what you would use the extra copy for anyway. Unless it's something like giving the game to a friend, which is either ethical or unethical depending on the game.
Well, if you can't find where you put your copy, or the system it's for is so old it no longer works, or something like that.
That's completely reasonable.
How about avoiding DRM?
For example, I bought and I own a game on Steam, but Steam doesn't always like it when I am not online, and even if I am, it still takes some time to start up Steam.
So I go get myself a DRM-free pirated version of that game.