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Call of Duty pirate being sued by Activision photo

Activision shows that they're not messing around, even when it comes to their 2006 videogames that have been marked down to $30.

Poor pirate James R. Strickland of New York has been busted by Activision. We don't know how they found out, but they did, and now they're suing Strickland for up to $150,000 for each infringement of each copyrighted videogame he's pirated. Yikes!

They somehow found out Strickland was copying and distributing Call of Duty 3 along with some other unnamed games. It seems that Activision knows what those other titles were, as they into to amend the current complaint "to add additional acts of infringement," says Edge.

Activision is also asking the Court to make Strickland destroy his copies and his copying devices.

To go after one guy is a pretty big deal. Did Strickland have a huge operation going on from his house? Or is Activision trying to make an example out of this?


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23 comments | showing # 1 to 23

Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 12:24
Holyetheline
"as they into to amend the current complaint"

what the hell are you trying to say here?
Video Cognito's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 12:28
Video Cognito
@Holyetheline:

I think into = intend
KMCC's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 12:28
KMCC
"intend to" would be my guess
dgschrei's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 12:32
dgschrei
"and his copying devices." Sounds rather professional. That guy does not seem to be your average torrent downloading pirate. BTW using torrents to pirate software is probably the stupidest thing you can do. The fact alone that the logfiles of the torrent sites show if you downloaded the torrent file shold be a nightmare for every user.

Btw why would anyone want CoD3 anyway? And piracy is wrong, except for beating Securom. Death to DEARM
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 12:40
Holyetheline
THANKS GUYS! Makes enough sense to me now. =)
mix's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 12:44
mix
Copying/downloading a game is one thing but distributing a stolen game and most likely making money off of it is something I see as being far, far worse.

If you can't afford $30 something is wrong.

Sucks to be this guy!
Shirley Temple's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 12:47
Shirley Temple
THAT'S how you do it. Non of this DRM shit. You have to go straight to the source and make them squeal. That guy has shit himself in debt for the rest of his life. Hopefully this will make pirates think twice before hacking a game, that way developers won't be such pussies about releasing PC titles.
Kasmodiah's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 12:48
Kasmodiah
After reading the article, I'd say that this is the case of physical piracy, where the pirate is actually selling the pirated copies of the games. Don't know much about it, but physical piracy has always been the main game source for undeveloped countries, and if this means anything... well, American economy is really getting flushed down the toilet if something like this is happening in New York. If dollar continues to decline, this form of piracy will rise, no matter the lawsuits.

Well, my fellow Americans, you get what you vote for, and if words like recession and depression mean anything to you, and you have the slightest idea of how inflation process works, you'd better start piling your cash for the local pirate store. :-D
xe-cute's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 13:18
xe-cute
The bastard deserves everything he gets.

Selling pirated games is just the lamest thing.


P.S. Who the hell buys pirated games? They are even more stupid!
Corak's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 13:20
Corak
Sucks for him but it shouldn't be a surprise. Downloading it is one thing, distributing it for profit is something entirely different. Had a friend in college a while ago distributing MP3 CD's. One morning the FBI knocked on his door. Was told either go to jail and get fined, or destroy all his discs, hard drives, and backups. He chose the latter.
rel123's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 13:24
rel123
Cue the gamers talking out of their ass about legal details
TrailerParkJesus's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 13:26
TrailerParkJesus
Good job busting this guy. Bring that fucker to justice.


*goes to reformat all hard drives*
vexed alex's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 13:38
vexed alex
Take this guy out please.

By the way, I think it's lovely that a lot of people who pirate games are going to be all for this guy's arrest. Downloading and distributing is the same thing. Don't get mixed up here.
xe-cute's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 13:46
xe-cute
@ Vexed, you are saying stealing something is the same as counterfeiting?


I do not believe you can class them on the same level.

If I was to steal £20 from a bank, then that is wrong.

If I was to steal £20 and then produce thousands of counterfeit £20 notes from it and sell them on at half price then that is IMHO a much more serious matter.


I think you need to re-evaluate your statement.
JDigital's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 13:46
JDigital
Good ish... I <3 Activision Blizzard... Keep on making me money :)
parrothead's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 14:18
parrothead
Pirates always get caught, that is why Ninjas are cooler
gitrooman's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 14:54
gitrooman
He got greedy. When you get greedy, you get busted.
Syn's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 15:19
Syn
@Shirley Temple: Don't count on it.
The-Excel's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 15:30
The-Excel
That picture depicts an execution, not a lawsuit.
Charedj's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 15:35
Charedj
Meh, as xe-cute said, who buys pirated games anyway? I suprised if people can make money off this.
shit-polka's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 16:59
shit-polka
very astute obersvation, The-Excel, have you ever heard of a simile before? in your life, ever? jesus.
Druid 01's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/19/2008 19:12
Druid 01
get caught and your fucked, thats the difference between just downloading a game and plaining it and fucking copying it cus your a lazy fuck and trying to live off other peoples achievements. people who just download games/music/movies for themselves arn't them people who get caught up in major lawsuits. your asking for shit when you do stuff like this.
JustLikeBuck's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/22/2008 03:46
JustLikeBuck
Who buys pirated games? You'd be surprised.

Just because you don't, do you still buy 2nd Hand? There's not much difference to the consumer who buys a badly printed game and box, and then buys a scratched, busted-boxed 2nd hand copy.

Money-wise, the developers don't see a penny in either sale.

That's just in "developed and rich" countries. What about less economically-sound countries? For many, a pirate version is the ONLY way to play. Either because the game won't be released (because of censorship, or no trade agreements), or be massively delayed (India just got the DS and Wii!).
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