EA Games: Challenge BitTorrent Users!
Written by Ernesto on October 09, 2006Apparently Electronic Arts is watching BitTorrent trackers, and started to send out letters to ISP’s of alleged copyright infringers.
We’re used to copyright infringement letters form the RIAA and MPAA because it’s their core business, but letters from game developers are quite exceptional.
A Destructoid reader reported that he was accused of downloading a copy of [...]
Apparently Electronic Arts is watching BitTorrent trackers, and started to send out letters to ISP’s of alleged copyright infringers.
We’re used to copyright infringement letters form the RIAA and MPAA because it’s their core business, but letters from game developers are quite exceptional.
A Destructoid reader reported that he was accused of downloading a copy of NHL 07 and wrote:
“I’m not sure if this has been shown anywhere else, I certainly wasn’t aware of it. I had thought it was just giant organizations like RIAA and MPAA that were watching BitTorrent. But if it was going to be any game company, it was going to be EA. I got a letter from my ISP this morning (Comcast) informing me that EA had sent them the IP address of my network as downloading a torrent of NHL 07. I haven’t heard of them suing anyone yet, but they’re keeping an eye on it apparently.”
It’s in the game…
Previously: The Cost of Movie Piracy to the U.S
Next: BitTorrent Movie Download Chart (wk40)
13 Responses
Heh, did they happen to mention when it became illegal to download? Sure, it’s a violation of copyright to upload and thus make public, but their lawyers have to know that you cant show loss in any way for downloading something, which is why even the RIAA hasnt tried to sue people for downloading, their not that stupid. Granted their still pretty stupid, just not that stupid. All this is, is EA trying to spook people away from getting a game that noone is paying for anyways. If your gonna hit people up about grabbing your stuff for free, at least make it something that doesnt suck.
EA sports….. It’s all a game…
In a few months the headline will probs read….
EA Games: Sued Em All!!
CJ wrote: [...]which is why even the RIAA hasnt tried to sue people for downloading, their not that stupid.
Where do you get your information from?
Last time I checked BMG vs. Cecilia Gonzalez (http://info.riaalawsuits.us/documents.htm#BMG_Gonzalez) the RIAA sued this woman for downloading and “making availiable”.
Since the RIAA can not prove any actual uploading to others then their own “investigators” in those cases against non BT program users, you can fairly say they DO sue for (alledgedly) downloading and “making availiable”.
And now in a case where you use BT you are automaticly an uploader by design!!
P.S. This woman was sentenced to 22.500 USD simply for DOWNLOADING these 30 songs! (she admitted that she had downloaded them. The plaintiffs did not prove any illegal uploading!)
Yeah…that is the key feature of Bittorrent, that you are downloading AND uploading to numerous users at the same time. So, even if they could not go after simple DLers (which I doubt), you are uploading through BT as well…
Just use Peer Guardian and you will be safe:)
shWARz wrote “something about being safe”
May I ask you where you get your information?
Peer Guardian (or any other) publicly known blocklist is no help for you if you want to commit copyrightinfringements, the oposite is true!
It is a tool THEY use to identify you…
Read why here:
http://neuron2neuron.blogspot.com/2006/05/blocklist-balderdash.html
they got her with uploading, there is no us law that says you cant download, at least not yet, and had they went after her for only downloading they would not have been able to prove a loss, which is what copyright is meant for, protecting loss. Making it available to the public is technically a violation of copyright law. You cant prove that the defendant would have bought whatever product had they not had acces to it online, at least not without putting a gun to the persons haed. They got her on a technicality and for basically being stupid. There is a whole slew of ways she could have fought and won her case, but didnt. Stupid is, im afraid, as stupid does, and for giving in, shes pretty stupid.
Makes me think, who decides who they go after? I mean im sure they catch alot of people in the act of downloading but its just not profitable in any way to sue them since alot of people might not have the money. Or in some cases why risk a law suit with someone who can potentially fight back and win?
That was your first mistake, downloading a shitty EA Game. Remember when they were more or less an obscurity on the Genesis with their oddly shapped carts? Boy did their games suck then, and they still do today.
LucasArts is doing the same thing. I think it was a previous posting here that someone commented that they got an email from their ISP about them downloading the newest Lego Star Wars game.
Eidos is doing it, too. Somebody apparently thinks I bothered to download Just Cause, which would be a waste of bandwidth, methinks.
its cool..
http://www.filesharingplace.com and http://www.nsane.tk for help and news in Filesharing world ;=)
fuck ea and all those american bastereds who think they can stop us :D :thumbsup:
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