Is this legal?

w1z4rd

w1z4rd

Karmic Sangoma
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I have purchased the original copies of both Battlefield2 and BF2 Special Forces, however over the last couple of months, the CD cases they came in have damaged the original CD`s.

Is it now legal and okay to download a copy off some torrents so I can mount an ISO so I can play that game (with my original product keys).

I have contacted EA Games about their dodgy packaging, they have simply ignored me.
 
You are allowed to use a cd/dvd fixes to play the game if you own a legal copy. This falls under fair use so you are allowed as long as you own a copy of the legal game.
 
@ Wiz - your key is legit, so I don't see why you can't do that.
My boet's BF2 disc was buggered, so I gave him an image of my own disc. Works a treat.

You're in jhb at the mo aren't you? Why don't you pop around to my place and pick up an image? PM me on wrg if you want.
 
I think it is theoretically illegal but I see nothing wrong with it and I doubt anyone including EA would mind.

If you have the licence you are fine
 
it's not illegal, it's like having bought a cd... only you don't know how to rip that cd on your computer, so you just download the song and then it's fine, but if you make copies it's illegal. so... in with the game you have bought the rights to use one copy of the game thus, having a image of the game and using that only with the cd key from your box is likerunning the original.
 
It's legal this form of use falls under the fair usage clause of the copy right act. As long as it's for personal use and you have a legal copy you are allowed to run it from your hard drive, the same way as you are allowed to rip the cd's you legally own to your hard drive as long as it's for personal use.

And thats the key personaly use no sharing the game or songs with friends or using it for comercial use.
 
I don't believe the concept of fair use exists in South African law. The copyright law makes a specific exception for making a backup of software products. You can make a copy of software you own, but the law does not appear to extend to allowing backup copies of movies, music, etc. It also does not make allowance for medium or format shifting.
 
Its allowed. If you read the terms and conditions of any sort of media (cd's, dvd's, games) you will note that there is a certain clause where it specifies that you are allowed to make copies of said media for own use only to serve as backups. Additionally you will note in your license agreements that you actually purchase the right to play the game. You don't actually own the product... So it follows that you actually only purchased the license key.
 
Whats not legal would be. If you give your installation key to all your friends and they make copies on their pcs and each run the game with gamefixes. Only you own the game. Also sharing your game online via file sharing programs would also be illegal aswell as making dvd copies for other people.

Thats when it becomes illegal use and not fair usage.
 
stefan9 said:
Whats not legal would be. If you give your installation key to all your friends and they make copies on their pcs and each run the game with gamefixes. Only you own the game. Also sharing your game online via file sharing programs would also be illegal aswell as making dvd copies for other people.

Thats when it becomes illegal use and not fair usage.
Click to expand...

My product key for bf2 is like my PIN number.
 
as long as you have the original cd and license/key its legal. its legal to backup your cd as well and store it offsite. so i don't see any problem with using a copy to get you going again.

with the prices of some of the games i always make a backup and play off those and store the originals somewhere safe.
 
w1z4rd said:
I have purchased the original copies of both Battlefield2 and BF2 Special Forces, however over the last couple of months, the CD cases they came in have damaged the original CD`s.

Is it now legal and okay to download a copy off some torrents so I can mount an ISO so I can play that game (with my original product keys).

I have contacted EA Games about their dodgy packaging, they have simply ignored me.
Click to expand...

downloading the ISO is illegal - but then you have the license key from an original.

dont see it as a problem.
 
Whos going to prove anything? Besides, are they really going to chase you down? I dont think so.
 
I also don't see anything wrong with this. If there is legal issues, it should be fixed.
 
halicon said:
downloading the ISO is illegal - but then you have the license key from an original.

dont see it as a problem.
Click to expand...
Wrong.

Distributing copies of software to people who already own a license to use that software is 100% legal, as is obtaining another copy of the software if your original copy gets damaged.
 
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