Piracy is the unlawful and unauthorised copying and/or distribution of games, whether online or in the physical world. Piracy is generally a criminal offence punishable by fines and jail sentences, and also renders those engaged in it liable to substantial civil damages claims for copyright and/or trademark infringement.
Piracy causes serious damage to all levels of the computer and video games industry. It threatens future game development, leads to the loss of jobs in our communities and to lost tax revenues, and has long-established links with other forms of serious criminality. Piracy also erodes the foundation of respect for intellectual property rights upon which game publishers depend in investing tens of millions of euros in the development, marketing and distribution of new technologically advanced games.

Buying or downloading a pirate game may appear to be the cheaper option, but such pirate copies can damage consoles and are frequently faulty or incomplete. Consumers have no recourse under law for the purchase of faulty pirate games!

Pirate games are often sold without the proper age ratings and this can lead to minors receiving products that are unsuitable for them.