Japanese game studio 0verflow is populated by geniuses. Rather than combat piracy with oppressive DRM, the developers of erotic title Cross Days is tackling the thieves in a more direct way -- wielding abject humiliation as its weapon.
A fake trojan has been released online, hiding within a fake installer for Cross Days. Once installed, the trojan will then gather data from the pirate's computer and poses a fake survey for the player to fill out. Once the survey is done and the program is finished gathering data, everything is posted to a public Web site, alongside a screenshot of the "victim's" desktop.
If the pirate wants his or her information taken down from the site, they need to click a button admitting they stole Cross Days and apologize for the naughty thing they did. If you think 0verflow can't do this, think again -- it's all covered in the program's Terms of Service, which none of us read, but probably should.
So there you are. Be very careful about what you try to pilfer. Playing something like Cross Days is embarrassing enough without telling the world about it, some would say.
Wait, pirates! That Cross Days download is a trap! [Japanator]
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Contest:
3:00 PM on 03.30.2010
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What is this public website they will be posting to?
Plus the fact most people would notice if you got a trojan suddenly. Creative, but I still prefer the Earthbound antipiracy method.
I don't read them because they are usually an elaborate way to say: you are fucked in the ass if we fuck up.
I want to know as well!
90% of pirates is way too big of a percentage. Most people who'd download this only think of the impending animu sex game. Their privacy? To hell with that! ANIMU POONTANG AWAITS!
Do you seriously think that the majority of pirates are dumb enough to fall for this?
Assuming there is anything illegal in the ToS. If not, then woo! It would be hilarious if someone found something and they sued the developer though.
http://blog.livedoor.jp/insidears/archives/52256874.html
And I'm a pirate!
If a court proved the pirates violated the company's copyright, they might get a pretty large fine.
If the court proved the company violated someone's rights by infecting their computer with malicious software and posting sensitive information online in exchange for an extortive demand, then a few people at the company would likely go to prison.
In other words, this policy is incredibly stupid.
Then again, maybe this is totally legal in Japan.
Good effort though!
Japanese desktops are apparently cluttered as FUCK. And one guy likes reading plant porn? That's a thing?
It's in the term of service, so they agreed to it. Legally speaking, they obligated themselves in the contract, and 'hurrdurr I didn't read it lol' isn't a valid legal excuse.
It's not really DRM, but I liked Vampires: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. "Win or lose, it matters not. It's that you payed for the game." Oh Troika, if you were still alive, I would have.
I for one, do not like this...
I for one, do not like this..."
Then clearly you shouldn't try to pirate the game. Which I think is the point of all this...
Telling the user you're going to wiretap their computer and send private information over a network to post in a public forum unless they comply with your extortive demand is <i>not fucking legal.</i> At least that's the case in the United States.
Honestly, I'm surprised people think things like this are legal.
Asking someone to sign a conract that states the signer's picture and name will be placed on a billboard in Times Square that states "Pirating Pornography is my Life" with an escape clause that states you must apologize for piracy might have illegal terms of closure, much like non-compete clause, but people sign contracts every day which require that they humiliate themselves in public. The pirates were explicitly shown and forced to sign the contract as a condition to receive a license to play the game, and there is nothing inherently illegal about the conditions as far as I can tell.
It might be illegal in the sense that the pirates were unaware of some of the conditions of the contract. An important difference between this EULA and most others though is that in order to use the product, you were informed of your obligations and signed in agreement to the conditions, albeit digitally. Most EULA's don't even appear until after the purchase and do not need to be signed, which destroys their legality.
Two wrongs make for a really rather amusing stalemate.
That said the vast majority of pirates will circumvent this...
Uh, have you even read the Terms of Service for Destructoid?
"Destructoid.com is committed to protecting the privacy of Internet users.
We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads and collect information when you visit our Web site."
So, do you protect our privacy or do you let third-party advertising companies collect information when we visit?