NO-CD PATCH IS UNWELCOME! PLEASE DON'T PLACE PIRACY POSTS HERE

[MadMaxMerlin]

Pilots, we do not support software piracy in any form. By using and distributing links to the CFS2 and CFS3 No-CD patch, you are supporting software piracy. FlightSim.Com abhors software piracy or violations of copyright in all forms. Microsoft has created fantastic flight simulation products for us and is selling them at very reasonable prices. If we allow others to pirate Microsoft's intellectual property and actually aid and abet software piracy, how long do you think Microsoft will continue to support the flight sim comminity? Don't shoot yourselves in the foot. PLEASE DO NOT POST MESSAGES ABOUT THE NO-CD PATCH FOR CFS3 HERE! I will delete them and ban the habitual offenders.

[ogre]

I respect your opinion and also abhor software piracy. As stated by several other moderators previously in these forums, freedom of speech does not apply.
However I do resent the implication that just because someone (like me) uses a no cd patch, that they will use it for piracy. I have somewhere around 20 applications and most of them are on no cd patches. Why? Not because I don't own them or because I intend on a more sinister purpose, I use them to avoid wear and tear on my personal property (cds). I owned two copies of Fs2000 because through wear and tear one of the cds became scratched. I had to pay an extra $70 just to use a program I already owned. Since then I have use every no cd patch or crack I can and I have never use a patch in any way that would contribut to software piracy. M$ has not lost any money to me. In fact they are up $70.

This also made me think of Windows Media Player. It is the mother of all no cd patches direct from M$. I can copy all of my music cds to the hard drive. I can then use the music from the cds without actually needing them. Isn't that the same as a no cd patch?

Respectfully,
Andrew Ireland

[MadMaxMerlin]

Andrew, I sympathize with you completely. I'm not a pirate, either. And I find it a complete pain in the butt to have to insert the CD. What's more, sometimes Microsoft's own copy protection doesn't even work propoerly. Happens frequently with CFS2. The issue is fair use as determined by the US Millennium Copyright Act. There was a significant development in this area yesterday when the Federal court determined that cracking DVD protetion code and selling the software so others may violate copy protection was not an infringement. This ruling was handed down in the Adobe eBook case. Howvever, until the courts finally decide the fair use matter, FlightSim.Com must abide by a policy that does not foster violations of copyright. So, any links to downloads of the NO-CD patch for CFS3 or mentions of links to where you can obtain it will be spiked in this forum. Frankly, the sooner the entertainment industry gets it head out of its own butt on the issue of fair use, the better. But, that's my personal opinion and the policy of FlightSim.Com regarding forum posts of hacks that violate copyright or even tread into gray areas, stands.

[Sfanger]

Let's all get off the high podium here!

I've had to reinstall this game so many times to get it to a usuable state that my CDs look like nine miles of bad road. If M$ wouldn't put out such CRAP the CDs might survive a normal use scenario. Furthermore, does M$ give free replacements for "worn out" cds? HA!

Actually, the NO-CD crack has little to do with piracy, and more to do with functional convenience.

IMHO!

[rtriez]

>Howvever, until the
>courts finally decide the fair
>use matter, FlightSim.Com must abide
>by a policy that does
>not foster violations of copyright.
>So, any links to downloads
>of the NO-CD patch for
>CFS3 or mentions of links
>to where you can obtain
>it will be spiked in
>this forum.

Max,

With all due respect, I'd really like to hear this from Nels. I'm the one who posted the link here in the first place and only after e-mailing Nels on this very issue. I'll admit that I did not hear back from him and was not given specific permission from him, but my post had been up for at least a month now and I'm sure that Nels has seen it by now. The site that I linked to was just that - another forum devoted to Flightsim and IMHO, an honest site as well. I refuse to believe that the intentions are of most folks, dishonest who request a no-CD patch; rather as the others have stated, for the purpose of mere convenience and to safeguard their original CD. Is there any difference to 'burning' an extra copy ? It has been discussed at length in the other forums that Microsoft specifically states that it is permissible to do that, so why is one recording medium ( CD ) permissible to copy to, yet another is not ( HDD ) ?

If you are speaking on Nels' behalf, my sincere apologies to both you and to him.

Regards,

Bob

[MadMaxMerlin]

Bob, I'm the moderator here. What I say, goes since I have cleared this with Nels in advance. WE depend on Microsoft for our simulation software and it is just plain stupid to bite the hand that feeds you. Frankly, I missed your original post and I'm playing catch-up. Doesn't mean we are ignoring the situation.

[MadMaxMerlin]

As for the issue of copying CDs, that's between individual software licvensees and Microsoft. We cannot and will not take a position on it. The fair use battle rages on! Just don't post your hacks here. It is not a battle that FlightSim.Com wishes to engage in.

[CoyotePete]

Is it allowed to post links to a site that contains a no-CD patch, either to purposefully link to the no-CD or for other reasons?

[rtriez]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Dec-18-02 AT 11:43PM (EST)[/font][p]Whoa, put on the brakes a sec Max.....I know who you are and what your responsibilities are.....just I think you are taking this all a little too serious. I'm not critiquing your moderating skills (?) here nor your "authority" as a moderator in this forum. I just don't see how you can speak for Flightsim.com as a collective whole when so many times I see such requests all over this site in all the forums; and civil discussions are held and never once have I seen a post from either Microsoft or from Nels prohibiting such posts or requests. Nor have I received a memo from Nels to the moderators that we are to keep a vigil look out for such posts ( my feelings on all of this would be completely put aside if Nels said " guys, no more 'no-CD' patch posts are allowed " and I would fully comply with Nels' wishes. ) There many reputable sites that offer the no-CD patch and at face value, I can't see how it would be supporting piracy. These are my opinions on it and only that. My intentions were not to challenge you, rather to point out a few things that I felt needed to be pointed out.

Regards,

Bob

[MadMaxMerlin]

No. Please respect our position on this.