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[s_l_m]

I feel like a lot of piracy cases are less about loss recovery and more about making an example. So I guess it does make sense that they would target the average person instead of somebody who can afford to be sued. Not to say that it is right but that is what they do.

[Radix]

when was the last time you saw a millionaire being arrested for *anything*? i mean, you live in china, you have to know that the rich are much less likely, not more likely, to be arrested for piracy

It'd be a lawsuit, not an arrest. And that happens all the time.

[Paul Eres]

the only cases i'm familiar with it happening are cases were businesses (as a whole) use pirated software rather than buying real licenses -- i'm not familiar with it happening wealthy people who pirate for personal use? do you have any examples?

[Radix]

This is tangential and irrelevant.

[s_l_m]

To be fair, if they really are targeting normal pirates (that is, they have somebody who goes on the net, finds somebody who is pirating their product, then they find out who it is and sue him). The chances of it being a millionaire is very small due to simple statistics, there are way less millionaires than middle class people.

[poe]

Also a millionaire would have enough money to keep the story hush.

[Radix]

The chances of it being a millionaire is very small due to simple statistics, there are way less millionaires than middle class people.

The chance of it being anybody in particular is extremely low. That's why expected outcomes are weighted, like I said in the first place (it was the point).

To put it another way, if you're playing a game where there is a small constant reward for playing, but a very small chance of getting a penalty which scales with your wealth, then it becomes a worse decision to play the richer you are to start with.

Remember I'm only disagreeing with Paul's statement that "philosophical pirates" who are millionaires should categorically participate in piracy.

[moi]

Let's suppose that you are a billionnaire, and then you decide to go on and create the most perfect DRM ever.
First you kidnap paul Eres, manipulatehis genes to make him more resistant and live longer. Then you send him to mars on a base specially built with a one-way pressure door that can only be entered, nothing can theorically get out of it.

Let's suppose that there are enough ressources inside for thousands of people for many decades thanks to a complex recycling system.
Now paul Eres starts working on his game, remember he works slowly, but it's not a problem.
The whole base is like a cylinder that slowly fills with water. After 50 years, everybody will be drowned inside.
Then you start abducting young gamers all over the world and send them to mars inside the base. Remember you are a billionnaire and have some sort of monopoly on mars expeditions. And there is absolutely no other way of communication in and out of eres-hell-1.
Paul eres starts releasing periodically alpha and beta builds of his game and the gamers start playing inside the base.
Well, I'll cut on the additional details but I think we could make this THE perfect DRM.
Contact me if you want more informations.

[Paul Eres]

your super joe impersonation needs polish

[moi]

that was not a superjoe impersonation, unless that's a joke you're doing?

[Paul Eres]

i need to work on my paul eres doing a joke impersonation

[moi]

okay, this was actually a good one

[s_l_m]

Yeah, I actually just laughed out loud.
There is a saying that the only secure system is underground, with no internet/connection to the world, surrounded by armed guards, and is off. It's kind of the same way with DRM, I don't think there is a way to make a "perfect" DRM, as long as a DRM system has some way to let a valid consumer play the game, there is a way for somebody who doesn't own it to play the game. All that more advanced DRM does is piss of consumers, Because the people who are going to steal games don't seem to have problems bypassing the security measures.

[Paul Eres]

All that more advanced DRM does is piss of consumers

with the exception of steam

[Klaim]

I guess if Steam was only a DRM, there would be no other feature to annoyance the pain.