Legality of 'No CD' cracks

z0n3 · Dec 8, 2007

Short story. Roughly 20+ of us are going to try and play through D2 to relax us during finals week. A few of us use a No CD crack and I was wondering where such things stand legally, in this specific case (Diablo 2) and in general. The only way I could think of it being against the law is if the EULA states that you are not allowed to do it. However my understanding of the law is by no means complete.

Aktunka · Dec 8, 2007

When it comes to actual legality, I think you can only run into trouble in the instance you are talking about if each person using the software does not own a copy of the software. But I am not 100% sure on that.

bLack0ut · Dec 8, 2007

It is against the EULA, but honestly, they're not gonna come after you for a small mod like that. It's akin to changing models in WoW; frowned upon, but not punished.

Honestly, if you own the 20 cdkeys, you shouldn't worry about it.

UnrealAlex · Dec 8, 2007

As long as you all have your own CD keys it's fine.

z0n3 · Dec 8, 2007

We each own a copy. Some of us more than one. I'm not concerned about legal repercussions.
It seems to me that an EULA stating that you can not alter a product that you have purchased is flawed and over ruled by the higher social contract which states "its mine and I'll do what I want with it."
Are there any legal precedents that anyone can think of that would show how a court might view this?

LegolasElf · Dec 8, 2007

dang how do you find time to relax during finals week? im usually up to my eyeballs in digital logic, circuits and computer science along with physics and calculus

DocClock aka MadClocker · Dec 8, 2007

Well, by definition a "crack" is just that a cracked code...which I assume that it violates most eulas..

xilix · Dec 8, 2007

Of course it's illegal. I use them all the time because I can't stand messing around with disks. That's why I like Steam. No disks to destroy. I have like at least 10 games that are un-readable because over time they just get scratched. Even inside the case, they get scratched. Don't ask me how, but I can leave them in there for months and they always end up scratched somehow, which is why I tend to use the modded exe's.

Off topic, but I recently bought some CD/DVD skins to protect my important disks (HDDVD's, Blue ray disks, important backup disks ect. ect..), and that really work nicely. Not one scratch one any of my skinned disks.

rainless · Dec 8, 2007

z0n3 said:
We each own a copy. Some of us more than one. I'm not concerned about legal repercussions.
It seems to me that an EULA stating that you can not alter a product that you have purchased is flawed and over ruled by the higher social contract which states "its mine and I'll do what I want with it."
Are there any legal precedents that anyone can think of that would show how a court might view this?

Who gives a damn?

I mean... obviously you... but why do you care? It seems like every now and then somebody brings this up as if there's going to be some massive court case over Diablo 2 somewhere down the line.

"He was obviously using a No-CD crack Your Honor... Him and all his Friends."

"Okay... What the hell is a No-CD crack?"

PhysX · Dec 8, 2007

Haha, i dont think anything can be done, but really im sure if you all owned it you would be using your real cd's, unless "here is your out", you are playing more than DII.

Hardin · Dec 8, 2007

I'm a college student so I basically live in two places. It would be very problematic to take my games with me each time I went back and forth so I use a lot of no cd patches.

Oni · Dec 8, 2007

rainless said:
Who gives a damn?

I do.

Legality of the issue is clear, as laid out by DocClock. Regardless of what anybody else thinks, cracks aren't legal, and we frown on illegal things here at the OC Forums.

I've let this run long enough. Thread closed.

Legality of 'No CD' cracks

z0n3

Member

Aktunka

Member

bLack0ut

Member

UnrealAlex

Member

z0n3

Member

LegolasElf

Member

DocClock aka MadClocker

Senior Member

xilix

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rainless

Old Member

PhysX

Member

Hardin

Member

Oni

Oni-ni-Kanab;, Ninja Hippo eater Moderator

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