Hot take: if you bought the game, but need to download a crack or cracked version to play it because the anti cheat or product key validation or whatever is broken, then you haven't pirated the game. You're only reclaiming access to something you paid for.

Side note, this isn't legal advice and IANAL.

I feel the same about downloading movies that you bought which became so damaged that they can no longer be watched from the original media. You own the content, but because they packaged it in a way that was prone to becoming unusable, you lost access to the content. You still paid for a license to the media, but lost access to that media. If you regain that access -by whatever means- then you still legally have the right to it.

I know the courts and copyright lawyers would argue about the license being for that particular copy on that particular media or something, but I disagree.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 7 months ago

I think downloading a crack for a game you paid for should be covered under "right to repair" laws.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 7 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

spoiler

asdfasfasfasfas

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

Sorry, I misspoke. You own a license to have the content.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 months ago

Many years back , a friend was a manager of a game shop. They let me bring in badly scarred discs of movies and PS1/2 games, pay a very small fee (I want to say like $1/disc?) to get a brand new copy of the disc as replacement. Was a service that was available to resell shops apparently, though she mentioned that it also has a subscription aspect that likely placed it well out of reach of mortals.

I'd even be fine with mildly increased cost on something like that for regular consumers, but alas no....

[–] SlopppyEngineer 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

for that particular copy

I think it's a different version of s movie that's important. If you bought the director's cut but downloaded the cinematic version then you technically don't have a license for that.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

As far as I can tell, the most prominent argument is that it's a different copy due to stuff like the resolution being different, if you own the DVD copy and download the Blu-ray, that's what they get you on. I imagine that works the other way too.

IDK. The laws are a mess and the courts are largely bought and paid for by the copyright holders.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

spoiler

asdfasfasfasfas

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

Criminals, that's who. The MPAA is coming to get you.

Bad boys starts playing