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Valve Announces Half-Life 2 Code Theft Arrests
Ant writes "GameSpot and other sources report arrests were made:
Developer of the much-anticipated and delayed shooter sequel reveals an international wave of arrests has been made.
The Half-Life 2 code theft saga entered a new chapter today when Valve Software announced a series of arrests had been made in the case. According to Valve, suspects in several countries had been taken into custody in relation to charges stemming from the theft of the Half-Life 2 code, distribution of the code, and breaking into Valve's network..."
Ah yes, that old stalwart. Mail fraud.
I just get pissed of with it being called "theft". Not sure WHAT it should be called, but theft is the removal of property from the person or persons ownership. To be theft, the item has to be out of the owners posession and entirely in the posession of the thief. Obviously making a copy of some source code means it never left the owners property.
When you get right down to it, this is probably what, copyright violation?
Not saying it's right or anything. As much the code being spread on the net amused the piss out of me (for the underhanded way the beta test of CS 1.6 was handled by Valve), it was wrong. I don't want anyone thinking I'm condoning it. I'm more commenting on how the legal definitions of crimes need to updated, since this clearly isn't theft when you get down to the actual definition of what constitutes theft. Hell, breaking and entertaing is probably a more apt charge.
You know I'm surprised no other company with a game ridiculously late has tried this route. "Honestly, the code was stolen." I mean really, the game is so damn late, blaming the system compromise for the delay of HL2 is the equivalent of saying "the dog ate my homework".
The idiots at valve had their code shared with the rest of the world, defrauded investors and you fanboys are cheering an arrest of someone who might be responsible for taking the code? They deserved it.