The Times is reporting that five top videogame publishers will be contacting 25,000 people from across the UK and demanding £300 in compensation for illegally downloading content via the Internet.
Atari, Topware Interactive, Reality Pump, Techland and Codemasters are sending out notices to people who are known to have been using file sharing software to illegally share games. If the people targeted don't cough up, then the publishers say they'll be taken to court. So far 500 letters have been sent out demanding the cash.
Law firm, Davenport Lyons explains why the publishers contacted them in the first instance:
“Our clients were incensed by the level of illegal downloading. In the first 14 days since Topware Interactive released Dream Pinball 3D it sold 800 legitimate copies but was illegally downloaded 12,000 times. Hopefully people will think twice if they risk being taken to court.”
The company has contacted the High Court in a bid to obtain the names and addresses from Internet Service Providers of 25,000 people involved in downloading videogames illegally. So far 5,000 addresses have been successfully obtained.
Do you think these publishers are doing the right thing? Would you be willing to pay a fine? Is this an overly aggressive tactic? Will it stop the illegal downloading of games?
We have plenty of red hot discussion on the subject in the HEXUS.community discussion forums.
Source : The Times
