There isn't a general discussion on the main Bethesda Forum, so I figure this would be as good of a place to begin a discussion. I've been searching the web to see if ZeniMax supports SOPA &/or PIPA. I sure would hope not as I would hate to deprive myself of good games. Does anyone know the stance of ZeniMax?

No idea, would be cool to know though... Theres a fine line between anti-piracy and freedom of... Well just plain and simple internet freedom...

There's Community Discussion. This doesn't belong here.

I do not support piracy, but SOPA/PIPA and ACTA are way over the line.
No more fun interwebz.

I wonder what Zenimax thinks when you mention it.

piracy isn't even a real problem. its just the entertainment industry trying to make sure its difficult to share ideas.

if you look at the most pirated games, they are usually mediocre, i think it was crysis 2 in 2011 most pirated... and with that crysis 2 pirated copies could play online! so people pirated it to try it out, then said, lol i can play online time to tell all my friends.

skyrim was leaked on the internet for PC about 3 weeks before launch, last i checked it was downloaded less then 500,000 times, and just about every comment on the site i use was basically saying " make you buy the game and support this amazing game"
I immagine many of those downloads were people just trying to see if it will run, or people who bought the game on console and now want it on PC.

There can be a fine line; it depends on whom is doing the interpretion. But, theft is theft. Property rights and a internet liberty have no fine line, either. There needs to be a debate on what will be tolerable or not.

Copyright are quite important to some folks.
The owner of MegaUpload got 50 years of prison I heard.

I believe ZeniMax actually support it, they are after all big software developers.

Things like Sopa/pipa and Acta is that they follow what piracy is on the current books now that includes even watching a lets play of a game that is not published or have permission of the pub/dev exclusively. Same applies to music pretty much the "piracy" on youtube is as bad as the piracy on Arrrr! but youtube is open and delivers the content in a matter of seconds without the need to download and use the correct programs for it. Also SOPA/PIPA/ACTA will not aid Bethesda much because pirating is not the only huge loss of revenue in the gaming industry used games are as bad if not worse which mostly applies to consoles more so then PC because PC uses codes and such and stops used copies from being used easily. PS3 and 360 combined are a larger market every used game that is not bought brand new but rather from a shady used game store hurts the developer/publisher because that money will go to the used game store NOT the pub/dev having the same effect that "pirating" as downloading it for free on some website has.

theft is theft, piracy ISN'T theft.
the industry see's
OMG my song was pirated 1million times i must have lost $20million in revenue!!!
when this isn't true.
The US is the only country doing some BS against piracy, hell, if it remmember in Russia it is LEGAL to download anything, as long as its for personal use.

techincally all you are doing is renting the thing you pirated it. unless you plan on keeping it. so unless netflix/blockbuster/libraries/Hulu/gamefly are illegal then piracy shouldn't be either.

To: The Main Event; I wasn't sure where this discussion would belong so I posted it here.

To: usrevenge; Sounds like you're describing "word-of-mouth advertising". That would make sense, if gamers download a title and like it, they'll likely buy it. I know I would consider doing that. I mean the I.P. is still protected from infringement and outright selling without authorization. So, why would companies take such hard-line approaches? They still get paid since there will always people who will still buy their products. Ex.; EA has the "$10 policy", which would mean I stear from buying any used titles from any EA subsidaries. I'm not sure if I had to buy a code for my pre-ordered Mass Effect 2 copy for the Cerberus Network or not. It's besides the point. I haven't bought an EA title since Mass Effect 2.

Wrong sub-forum, dude.

Yes, there is. It is called Community Discussion. You can find a link to it in the the major headings for any game on these boards.

We have a thread in CD already for discussing this issue, let's use that.

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1339964-sopa-pipa-acta-etc/