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Why don't "Warez" sites get shut down? <more text>
Author
Can someone please explain how warez sites work? I''ve heard about them for sometime and therefore I have known exactly what they were, but I''ve never been to one until yesterday. For instance, "The Sims" recently hit the shelves and I was just curious how quickly the warez community provides immoral competition.
I was under the impression that warez sites were fly-by-night operations constantly being erected for some pirating, soon afterwards being discovered by the proper authorities, then shutdown and subsequently this process would be destined to repeat infinitely. However, and much to my surprise, upon performing a search on "warez" with yahoo I discovered a convenient site called "easywarez.com." Now I presume this is a permanent establishment because of the fancy domain, but how?
I wasn''t the least bit surprised as I was redirected to porn sites and subjected to porn banners so I realize how these sites turn a profit, but why aren''t they site getting shut down? I mean, the web police have to be pretty ignorant not to be able to locate easywarez.com! And especially with game companies reporting these incidents, as they should do because it’s their own interests they''re protecting.
Also, there is no question that the services rendered by easywarez.com are illegal, so how does that implicate the users of the site? Are the privateers that download these illegally provided programs at risk for legal action as well? Is there any way for them to get caught? I assume if it''s difficult to bring down these huge businesses, it would be reasonable to estimate that the actual users would be several times less likely to be caught.
Any information in regards to this issue would be appreciated. I hope this was the correct board to post to. Thank you for your time.
Most warez sites only have one or two working links. The rest are all porn. The actual files that you are downloading are not on that persons server so I guess that they could not be held responsible.
You see all those disclaimers that they want you to read on the way into thier site? Think about it for a moment. How is telling police that they can''t view thier page going to keep them out of jail. If you run a crack house and the police see a big sign that says "crack house" then that would be probable cause. The same should be for warez sites. If they see easywarez.com.. they should really assume that it has illeagle software on it.
Anyways, just rambling.
2Ko0l4u <- isn''t everyone sick of stuff like this yet? When are they going to grow up? Back in my 2400 baud BBS days 14 year old kids typed like this and called themselves ELiTE! You must be ELiTE.
Poppycock I say! Poppycock!
(wow.. I don''t think I made any sense at all. Not even a valid point in there anywhere. I must be ELiTE)
You see all those disclaimers that they want you to read on the way into thier site? Think about it for a moment. How is telling police that they can''t view thier page going to keep them out of jail. If you run a crack house and the police see a big sign that says "crack house" then that would be probable cause. The same should be for warez sites. If they see easywarez.com.. they should really assume that it has illeagle software on it.
Anyways, just rambling.
2Ko0l4u <- isn''t everyone sick of stuff like this yet? When are they going to grow up? Back in my 2400 baud BBS days 14 year old kids typed like this and called themselves ELiTE! You must be ELiTE.
Poppycock I say! Poppycock!
(wow.. I don''t think I made any sense at all. Not even a valid point in there anywhere. I must be ELiTE)
I''d like to see you actually download anything from that site DrJohn.
99% of all ''warez'' sites don''t have any warez on them at all.
And, even if they did offer warez, they couldn''t be shut down legally unless they were advertising the fact that it was there. By US copyright law, you are allowed in fact to make one copy of your software for backup purposes, and it doesnt specify HOW you must back it up. So if you put it on a web server, its still legal.
It can only be shut down if it is proven that you put it up with the intention of distribution (actually... the copyright nazi''s are shoving millions of dollars down the throats of the law enforcement agencies to take down these sites anyway. My college sent me a cease and desist letter because the RIAA told them i had illegal mp3''s on my FTP site, when in actuality I know the band [hell, my brothers in the damn band] and I had permission anyway).
besides, i think think that the ''Huge warez problem'' really isnt a problem anyway.
These companies that quote losses of astronomical amounts are ASSuming that people would have bought the software in the first place. The fact is, the total amount of money that all software companies claim to lose to piracy exceeds the GNP of all individual persons in the entire world.
And many companies neglect the positive effects of warez too. I''ve pirated games before. The most recent one? Half-Life. Why? Because there was no demo, and I never EVER EVER buy a game unless i know if its good. So I spent a few weeks looking for it, and even when i did find it, it was missing the music and cutscenes. So I got to playing it, and saw that the hype was justified, and I bought the game.
They would have never sold me the game had i not pirated it.
How about software that is so crappy, that people are glad they didn''t buy it? It happens. Mr X wants to buy software Y, but wants to try it out first. however, there is no demo available, so he pirates the software. He then finds out that the software is entirely useless, buggy, and isnt even usable. He then deletes the software and buys the competing product.
Now, I say that the company that produced crappy software Y has no right to complain about piracy, but they do anyway, and prosecute to the highest level the person who tried out their software. Is that right? hell no. The software industry seems to be lacking a lot of morals, and its only getting worse, not taking responsibility for their own mistakes, and forcing people to accept liscence agreements when they open the box. Instead, the companies blame low sales on things that aren''t even related, and falling back on increasingly corrupt copyright laws.
well, im done ranting for now...
A man said to the universe:
"Sir I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."
99% of all ''warez'' sites don''t have any warez on them at all.
And, even if they did offer warez, they couldn''t be shut down legally unless they were advertising the fact that it was there. By US copyright law, you are allowed in fact to make one copy of your software for backup purposes, and it doesnt specify HOW you must back it up. So if you put it on a web server, its still legal.
It can only be shut down if it is proven that you put it up with the intention of distribution (actually... the copyright nazi''s are shoving millions of dollars down the throats of the law enforcement agencies to take down these sites anyway. My college sent me a cease and desist letter because the RIAA told them i had illegal mp3''s on my FTP site, when in actuality I know the band [hell, my brothers in the damn band] and I had permission anyway).
besides, i think think that the ''Huge warez problem'' really isnt a problem anyway.
These companies that quote losses of astronomical amounts are ASSuming that people would have bought the software in the first place. The fact is, the total amount of money that all software companies claim to lose to piracy exceeds the GNP of all individual persons in the entire world.
And many companies neglect the positive effects of warez too. I''ve pirated games before. The most recent one? Half-Life. Why? Because there was no demo, and I never EVER EVER buy a game unless i know if its good. So I spent a few weeks looking for it, and even when i did find it, it was missing the music and cutscenes. So I got to playing it, and saw that the hype was justified, and I bought the game.
They would have never sold me the game had i not pirated it.
How about software that is so crappy, that people are glad they didn''t buy it? It happens. Mr X wants to buy software Y, but wants to try it out first. however, there is no demo available, so he pirates the software. He then finds out that the software is entirely useless, buggy, and isnt even usable. He then deletes the software and buys the competing product.
Now, I say that the company that produced crappy software Y has no right to complain about piracy, but they do anyway, and prosecute to the highest level the person who tried out their software. Is that right? hell no. The software industry seems to be lacking a lot of morals, and its only getting worse, not taking responsibility for their own mistakes, and forcing people to accept liscence agreements when they open the box. Instead, the companies blame low sales on things that aren''t even related, and falling back on increasingly corrupt copyright laws.
well, im done ranting for now...
A man said to the universe:
"Sir I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."
Author
Thanks for sharing your wisdom Mith. I didn''t actually try downloading "The Sims," so I can''t comment on the validity of the links. "Links," yep that wasn''t a typo. I found it odd that there were about 15 separate files to download just to get the game, an inconvenience that probably prevented me from trying it.
It''s funny that you mention the demo issue Mith. The sole reason that I decided to research warez sites yesterday of all days was because there is no demo for "The Sims" yet. The concept for the games sounds very interesting, but I still want to try it before I buy. I''m such a selective gamer anyway. Hopefully Maxis will eventually offer a demo.
Thanks again Mith and Gromit.
It''s funny that you mention the demo issue Mith. The sole reason that I decided to research warez sites yesterday of all days was because there is no demo for "The Sims" yet. The concept for the games sounds very interesting, but I still want to try it before I buy. I''m such a selective gamer anyway. Hopefully Maxis will eventually offer a demo.
Thanks again Mith and Gromit.
A) Real "warez" sites are not just open web sites with links. The real stuff that goes on in the "community" is much more clandestine.
B) The FBI has a lot more important things to worry about then to run down their lists of bad sites and close them. And believe me; they have lists. What does it matter? They close one and another five spring up.
C) I have plenty of warez games but at least I am not naive enough to believe that "Pirate Manifesto" crap. Pirating _does_ hurt the software industry a great deal. I have heard the same dumbass warez excuses over and over for ten years. It is like listening to a broken record. Yet somehow every warez dork sitting at his mom''s computer thinks he just thought it up entirely himself.
B) The FBI has a lot more important things to worry about then to run down their lists of bad sites and close them. And believe me; they have lists. What does it matter? They close one and another five spring up.
C) I have plenty of warez games but at least I am not naive enough to believe that "Pirate Manifesto" crap. Pirating _does_ hurt the software industry a great deal. I have heard the same dumbass warez excuses over and over for ten years. It is like listening to a broken record. Yet somehow every warez dork sitting at his mom''s computer thinks he just thought it up entirely himself.
Ok, look I checked some warez sites out, and most of them had fully working games for download. Most of them have!
Yes you are ELiTE.
Ok, so what. I can find just about any program ever made. I can download thousands of MP3''s or full length movies. Does this give me power? No. Not really. If you want to use and trade illegal software.. go for it. But it doesn''t make you powerful.
Sure, you can type ''warez'' into a search engine and find a bunch of sites. Check out all the TOP sites, (t50, t69..etc.). Or you can go onto the IRC and ask people there. Whatever. It''s still just a bunch of people with too much time on thier hands.
I used to pretent that I was a pirate when I was 6. These people never did grow up.
Oh look.. a scary skull .gif on a web page.. ooohh.. what power.
NOTE: This isn''t directed at anyone. I''m jsut rambling.
Ok, so what. I can find just about any program ever made. I can download thousands of MP3''s or full length movies. Does this give me power? No. Not really. If you want to use and trade illegal software.. go for it. But it doesn''t make you powerful.
Sure, you can type ''warez'' into a search engine and find a bunch of sites. Check out all the TOP sites, (t50, t69..etc.). Or you can go onto the IRC and ask people there. Whatever. It''s still just a bunch of people with too much time on thier hands.
I used to pretent that I was a pirate when I was 6. These people never did grow up.
Oh look.. a scary skull .gif on a web page.. ooohh.. what power.
NOTE: This isn''t directed at anyone. I''m jsut rambling.
My $0.02
Mith, it might be true for you that you would never have bought Half Life if not for being impressed by the warez version first. However, that''s just your own experience. I myself tend to be like you, I want to try stuff out before I buy it. If you think about it, it makes sense. It''s like taking a car for a test drive before buying it. If it''s slow, doesn''t handle well, and you don''t like it, you sure as hell won''t buy it. But the difference is they openly let you test drive it. You didn''t break into their garage at night and drive it around the empty streets. Dunno if you see my point.
The thing is that many people DO have ample money to buy games and software, but since Joe Blow in their college dorm or whatever can burn them a CD full of warez for $15, they choose the latter route, and the company that made the product gets screwed. People like you and me (and probably everyone here) are the minority in our "try before you buy" approach (which I think is just fine). The majority of people look at it as "try before you burn it on a CD", these people don''t understand what software really is or how it''s created. They''re not enlightened at all. To them, $50 software is the same as a $50 hardware tool.
Mith, it might be true for you that you would never have bought Half Life if not for being impressed by the warez version first. However, that''s just your own experience. I myself tend to be like you, I want to try stuff out before I buy it. If you think about it, it makes sense. It''s like taking a car for a test drive before buying it. If it''s slow, doesn''t handle well, and you don''t like it, you sure as hell won''t buy it. But the difference is they openly let you test drive it. You didn''t break into their garage at night and drive it around the empty streets. Dunno if you see my point.
The thing is that many people DO have ample money to buy games and software, but since Joe Blow in their college dorm or whatever can burn them a CD full of warez for $15, they choose the latter route, and the company that made the product gets screwed. People like you and me (and probably everyone here) are the minority in our "try before you buy" approach (which I think is just fine). The majority of people look at it as "try before you burn it on a CD", these people don''t understand what software really is or how it''s created. They''re not enlightened at all. To them, $50 software is the same as a $50 hardware tool.
Just a comment...
I know a few people who make apps warez, and as a result I have no intention of ever, ever letting anything they''ve done get anywhere near my computer.
-fel
I know a few people who make apps warez, and as a result I have no intention of ever, ever letting anything they''ve done get anywhere near my computer.
-fel
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