When downloading a game is Legal?

[DunkleSonne AKA: DarkSun]

I was talking to a friend of mine and he said it's legal to download a game using torrents/bit torrents after it's copy write date has run out...(Most games are 4 years) So I was wondering is this actually true? Because there are some good old games which I wouldn't mind having So please leave a post below
(Like Age of Empires, CoD1/2 and stuff)

[aeria.]

In short, it is illegal to torrent any copyrighted game.

Copyrights don't last 4 years, they last 75. There is no video game that is 75 years old so it is illegal to torrent them.

[Darth Verik]

lol i can allready see it in front of me...85 years old darksun can finaly play CoD 1 for free

[DunkleSonne AKA: DarkSun]

Man.... 85 years.... I'll be dead by then!

[aeria.]

75 years, not 85. Don't listen to verik

Also, it's illegal to download someone else's copy of a game regardless of whether you own it or it. It IS legal to make ONE copy of your game, but sharing it with others is NOT legal.

[DunkleSonne AKA: DarkSun]

[mod]Don't encourage piracy.
-Red[/mod]

[Giftheck]

To answer the question of the thread title: It's legal if it's a service such as "Steam". Of course, you actually have to buy the game off Steam, you can't just download it, but after that, you can download as many copies as you like (much like you can install a game as many times using the one disc as you like)

[Darth Verik]

Wait...if there is that steam...can i download snake whitout being a pirate then?

[Darth Verik]

WOT!!!! 2.79! O_o thatz like 2,5 euro and that means its  exenive!! I can buy CoD 1 or 2 classic for that kind of money! (for the WI/PSP/Xbox)

And btw if your having a job (for teenagers) you have to work like an hour for that money!

[aeria.]

2 dollar and 79 cents is incredibly cheap... what are you smoking? You can't even get a number 4 in McDonalds for 2.79.

[Jedikiller]

A euro is worth approximately 1.5 US dollars. So it is in fact more expensive.

[Darth Verik]

Those old games are now for sale everywere in my country....so it is 2.7 euros
And you get that money if you work at a farm or something  els, i think a shop its like 3 euro's an hour
First those old games were 5 euro's now they are like 2,5 so (this is only old games)