Poll of the Day > Streaming is Piracy According to GameFaqs

(+) Yeah! (+)

GameFaqs in their illogical quest to stamp out piracy believes streaming movies over the internet is piracy, will mod your account and delete your posts.

As streaming movies is not illegal in most of the world, this is a gross misinterpretation of the terms of service on GameFaqs part and opens them to civil liability in those parts of the world.

Further modern piracy laws are draconic measures of governmental overeach with no actual victim as demonstrated by the European Unions own (now buried) report on piracy that found piracy laws are uncool and bad, and actually lead to increased sales and profits for the supposed "victims".

This is not a promotion of piracy.

This is clarion call: it is your civic and moral duty to stand against unjust laws, and the jingoism of the United States of America.

---

this is what REAL oppression looks like

---

Netflix is privacy?


---

Not paying for a stream is priracy and not paying is stealing and stealing is bad.

It's funny, America the land of FREEDOM makes it citizens pay for things like entertainment and healthcare

Even the Roman Empire knew the best way to pacify the populace was to provide them with free food and entertainment.

Panem et circe!

I'm glad I live in a country that has universal healthcare and libraries.

---

someone can't spell "piracy"
---

I don't understand this thread. Are they upset about official streaming like netflix?

i mean you did tell people to go to a pirating website

---

If I watch someone stream a single player game on twitch, is it piracy?

---

Krazy_Kirby posted...

someone can't spell "piracy"

Bold remark from someone who fucked up spelling hours while also fucking up basic math.

Kanatteru posted...

i mean you did tell people to go to a pirating website

---

Kanatteru posted...

i mean you did tell people to go to a pirating website

I didn't tell anyone to go a pirating website, I merely suggested they hop on a boat and sail to the Haitian port of Tortuga, which is very nice this time of year.

I did suggest that people go to their favourite aggregate streaming website, which is not illegal under Canadian law, or most international law for that manner.

Trying to enforce American jingoism on the rest of the world is inviting a lawsuit of tortious interference.

Mead posted...

this is what REAL oppression looks like

The struggle is real.

Watchers of the world unite! We have nothing to lose but our DRM!

---

you're just going to get modded again

---

I use Netflix, HBO MAX, Disney+, Hulu, Prime, AND YouTube!

Muhahahahaha

---

you might as well just pay for cable at that point

---

helIy posted...

you're just going to get modded again

Probably. Americans hate freedom.

Which is ridiculous, as it means you cannot even speak about laws that are unjust, or are not even laws in my country.

Gamefaqs is protected by section 230 and cannot be held responsible for users talking about activities that are perfectly legal in their own country, even if they are illegal in the US.

Enforcing American standards on non Americans is the very definition of Jingoism.

---

KodyKeir posted...

As streaming movies is not illegal in most of the world, this is a gross misinterpretation of the terms of service on GameFaqs part and opens them to civil liability in those parts of the world.

It's a gross misinterpretation of the GameFAQs terms of service to assume that the rest of the world or its opinions matter in the slightest.

If streaming movies is illegal in California or South Carolina, that's the only thing that matters and you're guilty as fuck, fair, next, etc.



KodyKeir posted...

GameFaqs believes streaming movies over the internet is piracy

Probably because it technically is.

Unless you're watching something through explicitly official channels, or the thing in question is specifically hosted on a free site by the owners of the IP (or if the IP has no owners because it's public domain), that's literally piracy.

You can disagree over the morality or ethics of it, whether or not "information should be free", or whatever other argument you like, but at the end of the day none of that actually matters when a corporation is obligated to legally cover its own ass to avoid being held responsible for the illegal activities of its users.



KodyKeir posted...

Which is ridiculous, as it means you cannot even speak about laws that are unjust, or are not even laws in my country.

Terms which you legally agreed to upon creation of an account on this site, where the terms of service are clearly established.

No one forced you to make an account here, nor is posting here a civil right or obligation. If you disagree with the policies there's nothing stopping you from leaving.
---

gamefaqs has a terms of service

it's not bound by any nations laws

---

helIy posted...

you might as well just pay for cable at that point

So I would have fewer options for more money?

---

helIy posted...

gamefaqs has a terms of service

it's not bound by any nations laws

Tibet

---

Metalsonic66 posted...

So I would have fewer options for more money?

all of those added up cost more than any cable package i can find

---

But with Cable, I can't pick and choose which services or networks I want to keep at any given time.

All you get is "Silver and Gold" plus any other movie channels you want to pile on

---

Metalsonic66 posted...

But with Cable, I can't pick and choose which services or networks I want to keep at any given time.

Depends which cable service you have. I can easily cancel or subscribe to specific channels if I want to, essentially creating a custom channel lineup.

Though whether or not something like that is actually worthwhile depends entirely on how you watch TV.
---

BEERandWEED posted...

Not paying for a stream is priracy and not paying is stealing and stealing is bad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeTybKL1pM4

Youtube is piracy?

---

I honestly don't know exactly what is going on. Apparently wikipedia says aggregate streaming websites are ones which simply link to where you can legally watch without having to individually search all the various streaming outlets.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

but at the end of the day none of that actually matters when a corporation is obligated to legally cover its own ass to avoid being held responsible for the illegal activities of its users.

That's why section 230 exists, but again, I have done nothing illegal. I am not a citizen of the United States and am not subject to its laws, ergo I was punished for committing a lawful act.

helIy posted...

gamefaqs has a terms of service

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Terms which you legally agreed to upon creation of an account on this site, where the terms of service are clearly established.

Terms they are in violation of

Gamefaqs posted...
Violate any persons or entitys legal rights (including, without limitation, intellectual property, privacy, and publicity rights), transmit material that violates or circumvents such rights, or remove or alter intellectual property or other legal notices;

Not that it matters.

Gamefaqs posted...
THIS AGREEMENT CONTAINS A BINDING ARBITRATION AGREEMENT,

Null and void under Canadian and other Commonwealth nation legal systems, making the rest of the ToU unenforceable; the only option for redventure to legally enforce the ToU is to revoke access to every Non American on the site and geoblock anyone not in the continental United States.

They have another big problem in their ToU:

Gamefaqs posted...
You shall not transmit, submit or post the following to our Services: Information that violates any law, statute, ordinance or regulation;

Any law, statue, ordinance or regulation. This is overly broad. You cannot be expected to adhere to the laws of 200+ countries. Right now by participating in this site we are all in violation of multiple laws in China and Hong Kong and therefore in violation of the ToU

And how many of you are using adblocker? Turns out your in violation of ToU

Gamefaqs posted...
Remove, modify, disable, block or otherwise impair any advertising in connection with the Services;

ParanoidObsessive posted...

If you disagree with the policies there's nothing stopping you from leaving.

And I am considering it, especially after reading the updated terms of service of October 30, 2020. Who here has actually read it?

https://www.redventures.com/legal/cmg-terms-of-use

I have been using this site since 1996, and agreed to the original ToU, and it can be argued I agreed to the updated terms of use in effect for October 2014 when I created this account, however the recent acquisition by Red Venture was not well publicized or known, and they failed to preform their due diligence to adequately inform users of these changes, that has resulted in the tortious interference in my peaceful enjoyment of this site.

If anyone is banned they can take their sorry excuse for ToU to court, and win. (unless they are American, then it depends on what state you are in)

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


I know I am not the first, more then likely won't be the last.

The original intent of the TC was to showcase the absurdity of the moderation, especially considering some of the things that get posted to this site, even this very post started as a tounge in cheek lark, but after reading the new ToU, I am genuinely considering closing my accounts, deleting the bookmark and removing it from my browser history entirely.


---

Zangulus posted...

TC is lying about his moderation.

That's libel.

I committed no crime, but was punished anyway.

---

lol

go for it dude

sue em


---

KodyKeir posted...

That's liable.

I committed no crime, but was punished anyway.

It's liable for what?

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


As I am not lying, that's libel, and a ToU violation. (Did you not read the ToU)

Under Canadian law you cannot call another person a liar without proof, that is libel. Unless you can present concrete proof, you have committed a criminal act under the Canadian Criminal Code and are in violation of this sites term and conditions.

Gamefaqs posted...
You shall not transmit, submit or post the following to our Services: Information that violates any law, statute, ordinance or regulation;

good thing for you, I believe the the ToU violates basic contract law, and is therefore unenforceable

---

BlackScythe0 posted...

It's liable for what?

Shoot, I misspelled it. Repeatedly.

Libel

https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/section-298.html

---

Zangulus posted...

You promoted an illegal activity on the website.

Without Prejudice

Keep digging that hole, you have committed multiple acts of defamation, you have presented zero proof, and your continued insistence of these actions is a clear case of criminal libel. If you continue in this criminal act, it will be considered an escalation into criminal harassment.

Zangulus posted...

The ultimate defense against libel is the truth.

The "Truth", is something to be determined by a court of law, which will only accept facts that can be proven, of which, you have none.


---

Why do you keep saying libel? To argue libel you have to prove they are knowingly making a false statement with the intention to cause you some form of harm. As long as they believe what they are saying, which I suspect they do, it's not libel.

This ones a fair, next.

---

BlackScythe0 posted...

To argue libel you have to prove they are knowingly making a false statement with the intention to cause you some form of harm.

In America.

• 298 (1) A defamatory libel is matter published, without lawful justification or excuse, that is likely to injure the reputation of any person by exposing him to hatred, contempt or ridicule, or that is designed to insult the person of or concerning whom it is published.
• (2) A defamatory libel may be expressed directly or by insinuation or irony
• (a) in words legibly marked on any substance; or
• (b) by any object signifying a defamatory libel otherwise than by words.

Canadian (and most any Commonwealth legal system derived from the British) libel laws are a bitch; I do not have to prove intent, only that harm was caused, (which is weird as intent as usually the major factor in legal cases) the onus then shifts to the accused (of libel) to prove that what they said was not only not libellous, but can be backed by evidence.

And since gamefaqs worded their ToU:

You shall not transmit, submit or post the following to our Services: Information that violates any law, statute, ordinance or regulation

We don't even have to use British derived common law, we could go with Napoleonic or Confucian legal standards.

Basically this thread has become about the piss poor job Red Ventures lawyers did in drafting their ToU.

Sarcasthma posted...

This ones a fair, next.

And there it is, The Harm. My standing in the community has suffered. Woe and distress have befallen me. I feel, injured by the insinuations.


---

KodyKeir posted...

And there it is, The Harm. My standing in the community has suffered. Woe and distress have befallen me. I feel, injured by the insinuations.

For what its worth, I think youre a swell poster. This thread is pretty poopy, though.

---

Sarcasthma posted...

For what its worth, I think youre a swell poster.

Thankyou, I do my best. (I wasn't accusing you of any wrongdoing btw, just using your comment to "demonstrate harm")

Sarcasthma posted...

This thread is pretty poopy, though.

Oh Yeah, it's totally off the rails.

But really, Red Ventures needs to hire a real lawyer with experience in international contract law, so they can fix their terrible Terms of Use. Whoever wrote that sorry excuse of boilerplate should feel bad about themself.

---

I think they had @LanHikari10 write the new TaCoS.

Fucking apologize, Lan.

---

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Depends which cable service you have. I can easily cancel or subscribe to specific channels if I want to, essentially creating a custom channel lineup.

Maybe cable companies have been stepping up their game. That definitely wasn't an option with Spectrum 3 years ago

---

CENSOR BYPASS POSTED...

It's funny, America the land of FREEDOM makes it citizens pay for things like entertainment and healthcare

Even the Roman Empire knew the best way to pacify the populace was to provide them with free food and entertainment.

Panem et circe!

I'm glad I live in a country that has universal healthcare and libraries.

When did you decide to go full-gimmick? Or had you been leaning heavily into your gimmick all along and I hadn't noticed? Your shitty troll topics are just getting worse and worse.

pay for things like entertainment

...how often do you work for free? Why do you expect others to work for free?

---