I wrote earlier this month about how the guys over at CD Projekt were unhappy but a bit understanding about this whole pirate business. It looks like that has changed as lawyers looking after CD Projekt have demanded cash settlements from alleged pirates for the Witcher 2. 

The story came initially from Torrent Freak claiming that thousands of German torrenters were asked by Projekt's lawyers to pay €911.80 or face further legal action. The article even suggested that their lawyers were "wrongfully accusing"  people who had never even heard of the game. 

CD Projekt recently issued a statement saying that its decision was not to include DRM so it would not be confused for "giving a green light to piracy," and that they would never " approve of piracy," due to it's overall negative effects to the industry at large. The developers have said that they've seen "some of the concern online" about what they were doing to thwart piracy and they "assured" us - not sure who - that they would "only take legal actions against users who we are 100 per cent sure have downloaded our game illegally."

A recent twitter discussion with C418, the composer for Minecraft, and his followers last night brought up that the real problem with piracy is people who make a profit from it  rather than those who just download a game. I think that's the real problem, that and servicability and respect for users. I think Gabe Newell said earlier this year, that it was service which was the problem, not always the users.

We'll keep you posted on how this all turns out for CD Projekt.  I'm predicting not well.

Via [GamesIndustry.Biz]

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