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infornography · 01-13-2002, 07:03 AM

What this man is doing is PROBABLY illegal. It really depends on the EULA. The EULA tells what you can and cannot do with the software. Anything from here on in is just what's true 99% of the time. The EULA is the only thing which says what you can and cannot do.

If a game is freeware, most of the time you can install it on as many computers as you want. If the game is shareware, but not available in retail stores (for example, a small game sold by a small software company for $10 over the internet), it may or may not allow you to install it on multiple computers. Smaller groups are less money-grubbing and less worried about warez. If the game is made by a major game developer like EA, Eidos, Capcom, Microsoft, etc. then I can almost garuntee you are only licensed to install the game on ONE computer. Many EULA's don't even permit you to make backup copies of the game.

If anyone tries to convince you that there are universal can's and cannot's that apply to all software, like "You can make a copy of a game aslong as you don't sell it.", "It's ok to download a pirated copy of a game aslong as you delete it after 24 hours.", or "It's ok to make copies of a CD aslong as you only use it for backup purposes." DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM! These are myths. Everything that you can and cannot do with software should be in the EULA that came with the software. The EULA is a legally binding contract. Remember that.

Also, keep in mind that EULA's sometimes have statements in them that are unlawful or unconstitutional. These licenses are still subject to contract laws. If you found out you agreed to an EULA that gives Microsoft permission to come to your house with an armed SWAT team, break in, and steal your computer, don't worry. You can't sign away your rights. Another nice thing about this is that if they do put something unlawful in there, the entire EULA is null and void, making it legal to copy the games freely. I don't recommend doing this though. The software company's lawyers are probably a thousand times smarter than yours, and you'll be trampled over if you try it.

	(#11)
infornography is Offline Member Posts: 55 Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Rhode Island, USA	01-13-2002, 07:03 AM What this man is doing is PROBABLY illegal. It really depends on the EULA. The EULA tells what you can and cannot do with the software. Anything from here on in is just what's true 99% of the time. The EULA is the only thing which says what you can and cannot do. If a game is freeware, most of the time you can install it on as many computers as you want. If the game is shareware, but not available in retail stores (for example, a small game sold by a small software company for $10 over the internet), it may or may not allow you to install it on multiple computers. Smaller groups are less money-grubbing and less worried about warez. If the game is made by a major game developer like EA, Eidos, Capcom, Microsoft, etc. then I can almost garuntee you are only licensed to install the game on ONE computer. Many EULA's don't even permit you to make backup copies of the game. If anyone tries to convince you that there are universal can's and cannot's that apply to all software, like "You can make a copy of a game aslong as you don't sell it.", "It's ok to download a pirated copy of a game aslong as you delete it after 24 hours.", or "It's ok to make copies of a CD aslong as you only use it for backup purposes." DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM! These are myths. Everything that you can and cannot do with software should be in the EULA that came with the software. The EULA is a legally binding contract. Remember that. Also, keep in mind that EULA's sometimes have statements in them that are unlawful or unconstitutional. These licenses are still subject to contract laws. If you found out you agreed to an EULA that gives Microsoft permission to come to your house with an armed SWAT team, break in, and steal your computer, don't worry. You can't sign away your rights. Another nice thing about this is that if they do put something unlawful in there, the entire EULA is null and void, making it legal to copy the games freely. I don't recommend doing this though. The software company's lawyers are probably a thousand times smarter than yours, and you'll be trampled over if you try it.