Haha - it's the internet, we're never going to agree on everything :)

I think the final observation that I'd make (and to be clear, it's not an observation that I'm directing at you) is that there's a lot of focus on this forum about respecting the rights of the consumer - I mean, where we buy something, we want to be able to keep it - and that's great. However, what this community often forgets is that if we want respect for our ownership rights, we also need to respect the ownership rights of others - and by that I don't just mean the ownership rights of individuals.

Otherwise, we as users are just as bad as the companies that won't let us own the games we buy.

You should remove that link, it's an "abandonware" site (which is piracy). I don't have a problem with sites archiving games that can't easily be bought at a reasonable price (acceptable piracy imo), but links to said sites aren't allowed here.

Thank you for your concern. This site does seem to be more of a grey area then outright criminality, in my eyes of course. Partly due to, for example, both Norton, or the Microsoft browser give of a 'safe area' sign. This is certainly not the case if i visit a pirate page, such as, let's say. IGG.

Also, in general speaking. There already have been 2 people warning me about this supposed illegal link which it certainly not is. I don't propagate illegal behaviour of any sorts. Therefore, i hope the next person who'd like to express his concern would also manage to read the entire tread, thus far. It might be silly to express such a 'hope' in the last reply so far but who knows. I am a man of good faith :D

I don't personally care about the link but a forum moderator may "forcibly" remove the link / edit it out of your post, so I figured maybe you want to remove it preemptively.

I don't think that's what the "safe area" sign on your browser is for or what it indicates.

Anyway, up to you on whether you wait for a mod, but I'd point you at this thread from 2013. I don't believe that the law has changed since then (or the forum guidance). For the avoidance of doubt, the relevant sentence from Judas's post is the second one. The third sentence doesn't change the meaning or the validity of the second.

https://www.gog.com/forum/anvil_of_dawn/abandonware/post3

I see what you mean. Though there is an 'also' involved.

Why would anyone be dumb enough to admit to piracy here or at any other digital store? I hope it counts against those people if they ever decide to ask for a refund on anything.

I am glad there is something like free gog games sites. Most poor people can at least there find a chance to get a proper download of something they like without too much of a hassle. The world is already distorted enough as it is. The price is of course the ever entanglement with the word and meaning of illegal.

What?! O___o~

Basically this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DS4aZPwBEw

This thread will be locked at best come Monday early mornin' :P.

P.S.: All the Dune games we know and love from olden times are now stuck in IP hell because Brian Herbert (Frank Herber's son and current legal owner of his father's legacy) can't stand anyone other than himself & friends putting a comma anywhere in his father's work. He's put plenty of commas and semicolons though, quite poorly I might add. It is what it is.

And thanks for proving my point so quickly.

How can you expect anyone to respect your ownership rights if you don't respect theirs?

Those websites do more to undermine GoG and the argument for DRM free than anyone else.

Nobody has a god given right to play video games. There are plenty of legal, free games available, including vast shareware libraries (including episode 1 of Doom, Heretic and Quake). GoG has plenty of free games and demos and allows users to subscribe to its newsletter in return for a game on a regular basis. There's another shop that gives away free games each week.

In short, in 2023, there's no excuse for piracy, regardless of your income.

Yeah, people not getting payed for their work is always good for poor people.

First of all: I believe you that it's not all just made up, some actually don't have unlimited resources and I tend to believe that you are one of them.
Just don't be one of these people who don't want to abstain from luxuries to afford other luxuries. Sometimes one has to decide. That does not mean he's poor but that he faces the same choices that every average person faces every day.
Yes, we live in a world of excessive supply, everyone wants to sell you something. But that does not mean that you need to have all what is offered to you.

Don't get me wrong, I used to copy games as well, back in the days when I still went to school and didn't have a job we exchanged a lot of copies. Of course everyone (or at least most of us) also had some originals. Those times however are long gone, I have a job now and pay for games that are worth playing.
One doesn't have to "support" developers by paying full price, buying games discounted is perfectly fine. If they weren't ok with that, they would not offer the discount in the first place. One who can afford, should value the work of others. If the game is worth one's time, then it's worth to pay for it.

I am born in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

Well, that's great, so you guys have a good social system for the poor among you.

That's conflating things...

But that's exactly what we have by laws and what 99% of us already respects; not to abuse the trademarked name/IP (at least not in the same category, like the name "CyberPunk"). https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/cd-projekt-red-cyberpunk-trademark/

I.e. I/we can do whatever I/we want with the copy or product I/we have, but not use the same name in any official capacity or marketing, like the name "Toyota Camry" or "Braun". Or "Grand Theft Auto".

EDIT: Or claim the product as my own creation.