A Glimpse into the World of Piracy

Even before researching this book, I had disdain for the aggressive legal tactics used by the software, music, and movie industries. The big guys with lots of money are suing the little guys for making copies of some of their songs, It is not like these companies are being deprived of anything; they still own the songs, which they can sell.

Our research into the piracy underground opened our eyes to an entirely new world of suppliers, crackers, couriers, and counterfeiters. We never imagined the immensity of the warez (exaggerated plural derivative of software) community, or that it pervaded so many aspects of the modern entertainment culture.

Warez refers to the copyrighted packages distributed by software pirates (or release groups). These release groups are exceptionally well organized yet loosely connected associations of members, defined by nothing more than the boundary of the chat rooms they visit.

Although warez is only one small aspect of piracy, the warez scene is vitally important because it is the model for everything. Most every aspect of piracy (movies, MP3s, ISOs, street vendors, and person-to-person [P2P] networks) is joined together by a common interest: the warez scene.

A simple principle drives the warez scene: everyone wants something and the only way to get it is if you have something that someone wants. Crackers have skills that release groups want and release groups have 0day releases that topsites and dump sites