Piracy - did you ever get caught?

DDNI · 15 April 2011, 12:20

DDNI - Spent a few days taking games orders from several school friends, told them how many disks I needed and then spent TWO WEEKS making copies for them - No cash just kudos.

With hindsight, taking the orders in IT class with the deputy headmaster watching was my downfall....
Come delivery day (IT double session pre lunch) I duly arrived at class to be met by the Head master the deputy head AND my Father who had been called away from work to deal with his pirate son. Apparently the school had contacted him about my taking disc orders and wanted him to stop me. Dad in his wisdom decided to let me put in the hard work and THEN spring the trap.
The obvious bollocking was bearable, but losing 180+ disks and two weeks work was the biggest kick in the guts.

My Dad laughed at me for days after!
He was the biggest pirate I knew and would regularly be on BBS getting and sharing his shit.... anonymously....

seuden · 15 April 2011, 12:26

Never been involved in piracy of any kind, film, games or music.

DDNI · 15 April 2011, 12:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by seuden

Never been involved in piracy of any kind, film, games or music.

fitzsteve · 15 April 2011, 12:30

I got caught making a copy of Quake 3 at work (worked in computer shop) my boss asked for a copy too whilst I was at it!

In my defence it was to replace my genuine copy that exploded in the CDROM drive

deicidal · 15 April 2011, 12:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDNI

He was the biggest pirate I knew and would regularly be on BBS getting and sharing his shit.... anonymously....

Maybe he didnt want any unneccessary attention brought about by his flash kid?

TCD · 15 April 2011, 12:39

Hmm, where's the poll?

Never got cought btw

gimbal · 15 April 2011, 13:00

Never got caught, but quite early on I did wise up about making copies for other people. Everyone wanted everything from me, including copies of my legit stuff; eventually when the lawsuits started appearing I simply put a full stop to it. And two years ago I stopped downloading also, even though in the NL its not strictly illegal to do so.

Just ain't worth the risk!

deicidal · 15 April 2011, 13:01

Agreed, I just started telling people i had sold all my equipment.

seuden · 15 April 2011, 13:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDNI

Galahad/FLT · 15 April 2011, 14:42

I didn't get caught, but stopped using calling cards after a few influential mates were tracked down using them.

Mr B · 15 April 2011, 15:52

What? Piracy? No, never could stand sailing on the seven seas. Sailboats just aren't my thing, and having access to cannons simply doesn't make up for the time wasted. A good highspeed vessel, and a full auto lead pellet dispenser, and it's more like it, but then your labeled terrori... Wait, i got a incoming message here...

Oh.. Um... I see. A misunderstanding seams to have been made. You guys were talking about game copying for you, and your friends. Um... No, never did that. (Oh, who am i kidding. I just never got busted.)
B!

Leffmann · 15 April 2011, 16:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDNI

The obvious bollocking was bearable, but losing 180+ disks and two weeks work was the biggest kick in the guts.

My Dad laughed at me for days after!
He was the biggest pirate I knew and would regularly be on BBS getting and sharing his shit.... anonymously....

your friends couldn't have been happy either. Must have been back in the days when disks were crazy prices. The ones we used to buy were €12 a 10-pack.

Never got caught or scolded for copying myself, although I think our father tried to hint me and my brother once or twice by buying original games that he knew we already had copies of.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr B

What? Piracy? No, never could stand sailing on the seven seas. Sailboats just aren't my thing, and having access to cannons simply doesn't make up for the time wasted.

good one

DDNI · 15 April 2011, 16:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leffmann

your friends couldn't have been happy either. Must have been back in the days when disks were crazy prices. The ones we used to buy were €12 a 10-pack.

I was terrified my mates were going to be furious about the discs. But they were massively relieved (and grateful) that i had protected them and kept my order book private

zipper · 15 April 2011, 17:39

Just my HD got caught by some nasty virus that infected some 1000 files until I butchered it with VT-Schutz. Nothing got lost.

kkgarbod · 15 April 2011, 18:54

Nope never, but then here anything goes, if you now where to look.

source · 15 April 2011, 20:17

There is a reason my handle was the source. I use to be the one who had all the games for the 64 and then amiga back in highschool. Back in university I took a computer course that was manditory. It was one of the biggest wastes of time. We had to work with. Turbo basic, word perfect, lotus 123, and dbase. I had all but dbase. I brought into the scheduled lab a couple selfbooting floppies with dos 5.0. The plan was to try and copy dbase off the server then i could format the disksand when i got them home i could unformat them on my bridgeboard. The lab was teaching how to format a disk. While every one was formatting their disk I was surfing the server and had found dbase on the server. I started coyingthe files over. I did not see the TA come over and he put his hand on my shoulder and watched the the list of files scrolling up the screen. I almost crapped myself. I thought that I was going to be in some sort of trouble with the until the TA said to me "You're going to be bored in this class aren't you?" He then proceeded to tell me to come by the beginning of each lab and he will tell me what was going to be covered and at that point i could decide on if I wanted to stay or not.

ceedy · 15 April 2011, 20:18

One thing I never considered doing obviously ????

Was connecting my 500's audio out to a sony earpiece and taping it to the phone .

And then not running any sort of software that could control the telephone exchange.

And definately not ever calling BBS boards in the states for free
or talking for free across a Satelite link

And never ever downloading anything From the BBS's!!

..

alkis21 · 16 April 2011, 08:35

Well I never exactly got caught, but one weird incident comes to mind: when I moved to Athens in 1990 I walked into a computer store, "word on the street" was that they happily copied Amiga games. But when I asked them about it the guy told his partner to go get the police and instructed me to wait there. I kicked him on the shin and ran for my life. Only several months later it came to me that they were taking the piss but I didn't stick around long enough to hear the punch line. Needless to say that I never set foot in there again.

Another incident was in the mid-to-late 90s, when I first joined an Amiga newsgroup and asked if anyone wanted to swap disks by regular mail (before the emulation days). Those of you who were around at the time might remember how passionate the comp.sys.amiga.games boys were against piracy, and I was instantly shot down. At least in public, as I got several willing e-mails later on.

seuden · 16 April 2011, 08:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by alkis21

Well I never exactly got caught, but one weird incident comes to mind: when I moved to Athens in 1990 I walked into a computer store, "word on the street" was that they happily copied Amiga games. But when I asked them about it the guy told his partner to go get the police and instructed me to wait there. I kicked him on the shin and ran for my life. Only several months later it came to me that they were taking the piss but I didn't stick around long enough to hear the punch line. Needless to say that I never set foot in there again.

Brilliant!!

onkelarie · 16 April 2011, 18:52

I am guilty.... On the Amiga I hardly had any original disk. Lately I'm a good citizen (or stupid?) and buy everything.

15 April 2011, 12:20	#1
DDNI Targ Explorer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 5,431	Piracy - did you ever get caught? DDNI - Spent a few days taking games orders from several school friends, told them how many disks I needed and then spent TWO WEEKS making copies for them - No cash just kudos. With hindsight, taking the orders in IT class with the deputy headmaster watching was my downfall.... Come delivery day (IT double session pre lunch) I duly arrived at class to be met by the Head master the deputy head AND my Father who had been called away from work to deal with his pirate son. Apparently the school had contacted him about my taking disc orders and wanted him to stop me. Dad in his wisdom decided to let me put in the hard work and THEN spring the trap. The obvious bollocking was bearable, but losing 180+ disks and two weeks work was the biggest kick in the guts. My Dad laughed at me for days after! He was the biggest pirate I knew and would regularly be on BBS getting and sharing his shit.... anonymously....

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15 April 2011, 12:26	#2
seuden uber cool demi god Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent/England Posts: 2,073	Never been involved in piracy of any kind, film, games or music.

15 April 2011, 12:30	#4
fitzsteve Professional slacker! Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Kent, UK Age: 44 Posts: 6,683	I got caught making a copy of Quake 3 at work (worked in computer shop) my boss asked for a copy too whilst I was at it! In my defence it was to replace my genuine copy that exploded in the CDROM drive

15 April 2011, 12:39	#6
TCD HOL/FTP busy bee Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Germany Age: 46 Posts: 31,518	Hmm, where's the poll? Never got cought btw

15 April 2011, 13:00	#7
gimbal cheeky scoundrel Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Spijkenisse/Netherlands Age: 42 Posts: 6,905	Never got caught, but quite early on I did wise up about making copies for other people. Everyone wanted everything from me, including copies of my legit stuff; eventually when the lawsuits started appearing I simply put a full stop to it. And two years ago I stopped downloading also, even though in the NL its not strictly illegal to do so. Just ain't worth the risk!

15 April 2011, 13:01	#8
deicidal Registered Insane Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Ununited Kingdom Posts: 792	Agreed, I just started telling people i had sold all my equipment.

15 April 2011, 14:42	#10
Galahad/FLT Going nowhere Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: United Kingdom Age: 50 Posts: 8,986	I didn't get caught, but stopped using calling cards after a few influential mates were tracked down using them.

15 April 2011, 15:52	#11
Mr B Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sweden Posts: 749	What? Piracy? No, never could stand sailing on the seven seas. Sailboats just aren't my thing, and having access to cannons simply doesn't make up for the time wasted. A good highspeed vessel, and a full auto lead pellet dispenser, and it's more like it, but then your labeled terrori... Wait, i got a incoming message here... Oh.. Um... I see. A misunderstanding seams to have been made. You guys were talking about game copying for you, and your friends. Um... No, never did that. (Oh, who am i kidding. I just never got busted.) B!

15 April 2011, 17:39	#14
zipper Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: finland Posts: 1,837	Just my HD got caught by some nasty virus that infected some 1000 files until I butchered it with VT-Schutz. Nothing got lost.

15 April 2011, 18:54	#15
kkgarbod The Human/Gray Hybrid Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane Posts: 372	Nope never, but then here anything goes, if you now where to look.

15 April 2011, 20:17	#16
source Zone Friend Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 734	There is a reason my handle was the source. I use to be the one who had all the games for the 64 and then amiga back in highschool. Back in university I took a computer course that was manditory. It was one of the biggest wastes of time. We had to work with. Turbo basic, word perfect, lotus 123, and dbase. I had all but dbase. I brought into the scheduled lab a couple selfbooting floppies with dos 5.0. The plan was to try and copy dbase off the server then i could format the disksand when i got them home i could unformat them on my bridgeboard. The lab was teaching how to format a disk. While every one was formatting their disk I was surfing the server and had found dbase on the server. I started coyingthe files over. I did not see the TA come over and he put his hand on my shoulder and watched the the list of files scrolling up the screen. I almost crapped myself. I thought that I was going to be in some sort of trouble with the until the TA said to me "You're going to be bored in this class aren't you?" He then proceeded to tell me to come by the beginning of each lab and he will tell me what was going to be covered and at that point i could decide on if I wanted to stay or not.

15 April 2011, 20:18	#17
ceedy Old-Amiga-Git Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Somerset , in the UK Posts: 175	One thing I never considered doing obviously ???? Was connecting my 500's audio out to a sony earpiece and taping it to the phone . And then not running any sort of software that could control the telephone exchange. And definately not ever calling BBS boards in the states for free or talking for free across a Satelite link And never ever downloading anything From the BBS's!! ..

16 April 2011, 08:35	#18
alkis21 Zone Friend Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Athens, Greece Age: 49 Posts: 1,408	Well I never exactly got caught, but one weird incident comes to mind: when I moved to Athens in 1990 I walked into a computer store, "word on the street" was that they happily copied Amiga games. But when I asked them about it the guy told his partner to go get the police and instructed me to wait there. I kicked him on the shin and ran for my life. Only several months later it came to me that they were taking the piss but I didn't stick around long enough to hear the punch line. Needless to say that I never set foot in there again. Another incident was in the mid-to-late 90s, when I first joined an Amiga newsgroup and asked if anyone wanted to swap disks by regular mail (before the emulation days). Those of you who were around at the time might remember how passionate the comp.sys.amiga.games boys were against piracy, and I was instantly shot down. At least in public, as I got several willing e-mails later on.

16 April 2011, 18:52	#20
onkelarie Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Spijkenisse / the Netherlands Age: 54 Posts: 525	I am guilty.... On the Amiga I hardly had any original disk. Lately I'm a good citizen (or stupid?) and buy everything.

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