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Hackers breach Electronic Arts, stealing game source code and tools

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Re: Hackers breach Electronic Arts, stealing game source code and tools

#51

Post by mercora »

Otek wrote: post #45
scambier wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Stealing" a digital product implies that every stolen copy is a net loss for the distributor. It's definitely not.

Of course, it's not like if you clone a file on your hard drive 10 times, the manufacturer of what you're cloning loses tenfold. But every person who has used the product without paying for it is such a loss. I don't know what the "every stolen copy" argument has to do with anything. Not everyone who downloaded would have bought. But that can't simply be calculated with some neat "every stolen copy" slogan. It is an…

> but every person who has used the product without paying for it is such a loss.

i bought lots of products only after pirating them. would i not have done that i would not have bought many things at all. I also fondly remember simply not having the funds to buy software and pirating them was the only way to move forward. in both cases my "stolen" copy should not account for a loss of sale and the former even supported making a sale at all....

Re: Hackers breach Electronic Arts, stealing game source code and tools

#52

Post by miav »

There have been multiple attacks like this and it seems the stolen code is usually made public in the end. I presume people will look at it and reuse some concepts and I wonder if this could lead to the technical state of the industry becoming better as a whole.

Re: Hackers breach Electronic Arts, stealing game source code and tools

#53

Post by lanevorockz »

I am an adept of the free code as we should own the source code of the products we buy. It might be too early for society to adopt something this radical but I believe Stallman was right. Mainly that's why I stick to open source technology only.

Re: Hackers breach Electronic Arts, stealing game source code and tools

#54

Post by krona »

Otek wrote: post #45
scambier wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Stealing" a digital product implies that every stolen copy is a net loss for the distributor. It's definitely not.

Of course, it's not like if you clone a file on your hard drive 10 times, the manufacturer of what you're cloning loses tenfold. But every person who has used the product without paying for it is such a loss. I don't know what the "every stolen copy" argument has to do with anything. Not everyone who downloaded would have bought. But that can't simply be calculated with some neat "every stolen copy" slogan. It is an…

Stealing implies someone being deprived of something. I don't condone pirating but the argument isn't invalidated merely because it 'justifies' the act itself.

Re: Hackers breach Electronic Arts, stealing game source code and tools

#56

Post by mercora »

khazhoux wrote: post #47
mercora wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

for me stealing implies change of possession. this does not apply here. what might have been taken is the possibility to monetize it the way they imagined or that they had been hurt by the PR afterwards and similar things. but nothing has been stolen everything is still in place were it was before and nothing is missing except for some of the confidence in their infrastructure security.

"Hello, I'm calling to report that the 16-digit sequence, expiration date, and 3-digit security code of my credit card have been replicated and are now known to persons whom I did not give permission to utilize." "Sir, are you calling because your credit card was stolen?" " It was not stolen!! I still retain possession."

... "hello, my credit card data has been acquired and used without permission. I still possess the card but want you to freeze the account and a new card mailed to me afterwards."

do you see how this is just more accurate?

Re: Hackers breach Electronic Arts, stealing game source code and tools

#57

Post by whiddershins »

toyg wrote: post #49
okamiueru wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suppose. But, this has very little to do with piracy. The source code wasn't acquired in order to compile bootleg versions of the game, and thus leading to loss of sales. This is the illegal gain of someone else's intellectual property. "Stealing" is a reasonable word to use in this context.

But the wider point is that "intellectual property" cannot effectively be "stolen", only "unlawfully obtained or reproduced". Nobody is ever deprived of IP or even its legally-created exploitation rights; it's only the market value of such IP that is allegedly affected. I reckon we need a new word. "Pirating" has sort-of taken that space but it's not really good and it only covers distribution. It should be something…

If value is transferred by force, this is theft.
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