Tag: software piracy
Pirate version of Sims 3 leaks onto the internet
Oh dear. Poor old piracy ravaged EA games has been hit yet again as copies of the Sims 3 have been leaked onto the web a full two weeks ahead of launch. A torrent file has popped up on all the usual sites with downloads and installations running just fine according to all reports.
The game requires no online registration to work, unlike Spore the best part of a year ago, and at it looks as if the games company is receiving some kind of perverse punishment for doing the decent thing in removing the hugely unpopular DRM that caused such an uproar the last time.
With only a serial code on the box to get around, key gens are all that’s needed to get the game installed and so long as users do not allow the game to access the internet, there should be no problem. The only issue comes if you want to play the game in an online mode. Then it might be worth forking out once the release is officially available.
(via Ars Technica)
Reduntantees revenge – companies grassed up for unlicensed software
Sacked workers are getting their revenge and chance of a very good payout by reporting their former employers for running unlicensed software.
According the to Business Software Association, they are currently receiving 100 leads each week to follow up on companies who haven’t properly paid for and acquired the programs on which they run. My first thought was that it was just a straight two fingers up by those made redundant but apparently it’s the financial incentive scheme as introduced by the BSA in 2006 that’s proving the real draw.
In the States you can get anywhere up to $200,000 for a successful snitch. I should imagine you’d probably have to grass up a really big company for those kind of bucks. I’d imagine Microsoft and Apple would be a dead loss but, then, you never know. Perhaps they haven’t paid themselves…or each other.
(via Computer Weekly)
