View source for Warez

{{short description|Movies, software or music distributed in violation of copyright}}
{{about|the computing term related to distribution of copyrighted works|the village in Ukraine|Waręż|the city in Mexico|Ciudad Juárez}}
{{pp-pc1}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{more citations needed|date=August 2008}}
{{original research|date=August 2008}}
{{inadequate lead|date=August 2016}}
}}
[[File:Pro piracy demonstration.jpg|thumb|Demonstration in support of "''fildelning''" ([[file sharing]], including of warez), in [[Sweden]] in 2006.]]

'''Warez''' refers to pirated software and other copyrighted digital media—such as video games, movies, music, and e-books—illegally distributed online, often after bypassing '''digital rights management (DRM)'''. The term, derived from “software wares,” is pronounced like “wares” (/ˈwɛərz/). Warez is typically shared via '''peer-to-peer networks''', '''file-hosting services''', and '''IRC'''. The global community involved is known as '''The Scene'''. Although warez culture dates back to the 1980s and remains embedded in online communities, its distribution generally violates '''copyright law''' and continues to raise legal and ethical concerns.

==Terminology==
{{Multiple issues|section=yes|
{{expand section | clear reference to ''published definitions'' of the included terms, most of which are as yet unsourced and so violate [[WP:VERIFY]], etc.) | small = no|date=August 2016}}
{{more citations needed section|date=August 2016}}
}}
Warez, and its [[leet]]speak form ''W4r3z'',<ref name=CollinsDict>{{cite book | author = Staff at Collins | year = 2014 | chapter = Warez [redirects from W4r3z] | title = Collins English Dictionary, Complete and Unabridged | edition = 12th | location = New York, NY | publisher = HarperCollins | chapter-url = http://www.thefreedictionary.com/W4r3z | access-date = 26 August 2016 }} Note, this definition, contrary to this article statements and statements at the Oxford citation, suggests that the term's origin and pronunciation were "influenced by the anglicized pronunciation of Juarez, a Mexican city known for smuggling."</ref> are plural representations of the word "ware" (short for computer software),<ref name=CollinsDict/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/1999/jun/17/onlinesupplement4 |title=Hacking away at our ethics |first=John |last=Sutherland |date=1999-06-17 |website=[[The Guardian]] |quote=it's "wares", crossed with "Juarez", the Mexican smuggling capital across from El Paso}}</ref> and are terms used to refer to "[p]irated software distributed over the Internet,"<ref>{{cite journal | journal = PC Magazine | year = 2016 | title = PCMag Encyclopedia, Definition of: warez | location = New York, NY | publisher = Ziff Davis–PCMag Digital Group | url = https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/54211/warez | access-date = 26 August 2016 }}</ref> that is, "[s]oftware that has been illegally copied and made available"<ref name=OxfordUSED>{{cite book | author = Staff at Oxford Dictionaries | year = 2016 | chapter = Warez | title = US English Dictionary | location = Oxford, UK | publisher = Oxford University Press | chapter-url = http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/warez | access-date = 26 August 2016 | archive-date = 27 August 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160827173226/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/warez | url-status = dead }} Note, this definition is also identical to that in the British English version of this publisher's dictionary.</ref><ref name = Chandra2016>{{cite book | author =Chandra, Priyank | title = Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems | chapter = Order in the Warez Scene: Explaining an Underground Virtual Community with the CPR Framework | year = 2016 | series = Chi '16 | issue = May | pages = 372–383 | location = New York, NY | publisher = [[Association for Computing Machinery]] (ACM) | chapter-url = http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2858341 | access-date = 26 August 2016| doi = 10.1145/2858036.2858341 | isbn = 9781450333627 | s2cid = 15919355 }}</ref> e.g., after having "protection codes de-activated".<ref name=CollinsDict/> "Cracking", or circumventing copy protection, is an essential part of the warez process,"<ref name = Schwabach1406/> and via this commonality, the definition focused on computer software has been extended to include other forms of material under copyright protection, especially movies.<ref name = Schwabach1406/> As Aaron Schwabach notes, the term covers both supported and unsupported materials (the latter unsupported, termed [[abandonware]]), and legal recourses aimed at stemming the creation and distribution of warez are designed to cover both profit-driven and "enthusiast" practitioners.<ref name = Schwabach1406>{{cite book | author = Schwabach, Aaron | year = 2014 | title = Internet and the Law: Technology, Society, and Compromises | edition = 2nd, revised | location = Santa Barbara, CA | publisher = ABC-CLIO | series = EBSCO ebook academic collection | isbn = 978-1610693509 | pages = 247f, and ''passim'' | url = https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1610693507 | access-date = 26 August 2016}} The earlier edition is {{cite book | author = Schwabach, A. | year = 2006 | title = Internet and the Law… | series = ABC-CLIO's contemporary world issues | isbn = 978-1851097319 | pages = 307–309, and ''passim'' | url = https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1851097317 }}, with same publisher and access date. Pages referenced at 247f are to the 2014 edition, while pages referenced to 307ff are to the 2006 edition, in both cases with page number appearing in superscript, in "rp" markup.</ref> Hence, the term refers to copyrighted works that are distributed without fees or royalties and so traded in general violation of copyright law.<ref name="Pirate's Forum">{{cite web | url=https://pirates-forum.org/Thread-Warez-scene-Related | title=Warez (Scene) Related }}</ref>

The term ''warez,'' which is intended to be pronounced like the word "wares" (/ˈwɛərz/), was coined in the 1990s;<ref name=OxfordUSED/> its origin is with an unknown member of an underground computing circle,{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} but has since become commonplace among Internet users and the mass media.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} It is used most commonly as a noun:<ref name=OxfordUSED/> "My neighbour downloaded 10 gigabytes of warez yesterday"; but has also been used as a verb:<ref name="Pirate's Forum"/> "The new Windows was warezed a month before the company officially released it".<ref name="Pirate's Forum"/> The global collection of warez groups has been referred to as "The [[warez scene|Warez Scene]]," or more ambiguously "The Scene."<ref name = Witt2015>{{cite book | author = Witt, Stephen | year = 2015 | title = How Music Got Free: The End of an Industry, the Turn of the Century, and the Patient Zero of Piracy | location = London | publisher = Penguin | isbn = 978-0698152526 | url = https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0698152522 | access-date = 26 August 2016}} Pages are as appear in the superscripted "rp" markup, inline.</ref>{{rp|p.72}}<ref name = Rehn2004>{{cite journal | author = Rehn, Alf | year = 2004 | title = The politics of contraband: The honor economies of the warez scene | journal = The Journal of Socio-Economics | volume = 33 | issue = 3, July | pages = 359–374 | doi=10.1016/j.socec.2003.12.027| s2cid = 46154259 }}</ref><ref name = Chandra2016/>

While the term 'piracy' is commonly used to describe a significant range of activities, most of which are unlawful, the relatively neutral meaning in this context is "...mak[ing] use of or reproduc[ing] the work of another without authorization".<ref>{{cite book | author = Eds. of the AHD | title = The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language | edition = 4th | chapter = Pirate | chapter-url=http://www.bartleby.com/61/73/P0327300.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080629183819/http://www.bartleby.com/61/73/P0327300.html | archive-date=2008-06-29 |publisher=[[Bartleby.com]] | access-date =2010-02-18}}</ref> Some groups (including the GNU project of the [[Free Software Foundation]], FSF) object to the use of this and other words such as "theft" because they represent an attempt to create a particular impression in the reader:{{blockquote|Publishers often refer to prohibited copying as "piracy." In this way, they imply that illegal copying is ethically equivalent to attacking ships on the high seas, kidnapping and murdering the people on them.<ref name=w2a>See 'piracy' and 'theft' on [https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html Words to Avoid (or Use with Care) Because They Are Loaded or Confusing] Free Software Foundation</ref> }}The FSF advocates the use of terms like "prohibited copying" or "unauthorized copying", or "sharing information with your neighbor."<ref name=w2a/> Hence, the term "software pirate" is controversial; FSF derides its use, while many self-described pirates take pride in the term,{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} and some groups (e.g., [[Pirates with Attitudes]]) fully embrace it.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}

''Direct download [DDL] sites'' are web locations that index links to locations where files can be directly downloaded to the user's computer; many such sites link to free [[file hosting service]]s, for the hosting of materials.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://filesharefreak.com/2008/02/02/advanced-searching-for-copyrighted-content-part-iv-ddl-websites/ |title=Advanced Searching for Copyrighted Content – Part IV – 'DDL' Websites |date=2008-02-02 |publisher=FileShareFreak |author=sharky |access-date=2010-02-18}}</ref> DDL sites do not directly host the material and can avoid the fees that normally accompany large file hosting.

==Motivations and arguments==
{{original research | section|date=August 2016}}
The production and/or distribution of warez is illegal in most countries due to the protections provided in the [[TRIPS Agreement]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Intellectual property rights in today's digital economy |first=Adam |last=Denton |url=https://www.itu.int/ITU-D/treg/Events/Seminars/GSR/GSR11/documents/05-Intellectual-property-E.pdf |year=2011 |publisher=[[ITU]] |page=15 |quote=Copyright infringement is a civil offence in most jurisdictions.}}</ref> Software [[Copyright infringement|infringers]] generally exploit the international nature of the [[copyright]] issue to avoid law enforcement in specific countries.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} Violations are typically overlooked in poorer [[third world]] countries, and other countries with weak or non-existent protection for intellectual property.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Michael W. |title=Bringing Developing Countries' IntellectualProperty Laws to TRIPS Standards: Hurdles andPitfalls Facing Vietnam's Efforts to Normalize anIntellectual Property Regime |journal=Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law |date=1999 |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=211, 223–235 |url=https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/jil/vol31/iss1/7/ |access-date=13 June 2019}}</ref> Additionally, some first world countries have loopholes in legislation that allow the warez to continue.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Adamsick |first1=Christopher |title="Warez" the Copyright Violation? Digital Copyright Infringement: Legal Loopholes and Decentralization |journal=TechTrends |date=2008-12-07 |volume=52 |issue=6 |pages=10–12 |doi=10.1007/s11528-008-0207-0 |s2cid=150417186 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Penenberg |first1=Adam L. |title=Cracking loopholes |url=https://www.forbes.com/1997/08/08/loop.html |website=Forbes |access-date=12 June 2019}}</ref>

There is also a movement, exemplified by groups like [[The Pirate Party]] and scholars at [[The Mises Institute]], that the very idea of [[intellectual property]] is an [[anathema]] to free society.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Huebert |first1=Jacob H. |title=The Fight against Intellectual Property {{!}} Libertarianism Today |url=https://mises.org/library/fight-against-intellectual-property |website=Mises Institute |date=3 February 2011 |access-date=12 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Van der Sar |first1=Ernesto |title=Piracy is Ethically Acceptable To Many Harvard Lawyers, Research Finds |url=https://torrentfreak.com/piracy-is-ethically-acceptable-for-many-harvard-lawyers-research-finds-190607/ |access-date=12 June 2019 |work=TorrentFreak |date=2019-06-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kopraleva |first1=Iva |title=Are Pirate Parties relevant to European politics? |url=https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_are_pirate_parties_relevant_to_european_politics_7221 |website=European Council on Foreign Relations |date=20 January 2017 |access-date=12 June 2019}}</ref> This is in contrast to some of the more traditional [[open source]] advocates such as [[Lawrence Lessig]], who advocate for middle ground between freedom and intellectual property.<ref>{{cite web |title=Interview with Lawrence Lessig |url=https://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2011/01/article_0002.html |website=World Intellectual Property Organization |access-date=12 June 2019}}</ref>

==Legality==
{{more citations needed section|date=August 2016}}
{{details|Copyright infringement#Legality}}
Generally, there are four elements of criminal copyright infringement: the existence of a valid copyright, that copyright was infringed, the infringement was willful, and the infringement was either substantial, or for commercial gain (at levels often set by [[statute]]).<ref name=Goldman2004>{{cite journal |last1=Goldman |first1=Eric |title=Warez Trading and Criminal Copyright Infringement |journal=Santa Clara University School of Law |date=2004-01-18 |pages=2–5 |url=https://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/facpubs/185/ |access-date=13 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{USC | 17 | 506}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Loren |first1=Lydia Pallas |title=Digitization, Commodification, Criminalization: The Evolution of Criminal Copyright Infringement and the Importance of the Willfulness Requirement |journal=Washington University Law Review |date=January 1999 |volume=77 |issue=3 |pages=866–867 | url=https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1483&context=law_lawreview |access-date=13 June 2019}}</ref> Offering warez is generally understood to be a form of [[copyright infringement]] that is punishable as either a [[Tort|civil wrong]] or a [[criminal law|crime]].<ref name=Goldman2004/>{{rp|page=6}}<ref name = Schwabach1406/>{{rp|page=307}}

Often, sites hosting torrent files claim that they are not breaking any laws because they are not offering the actual data; rather, the sites only offer a link to other places or peers that contain the infringing material.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} However, many prosecution cases and convictions argue to the contrary. For instance, Dimitri Mader, the French national who operates a movie distribution warez site, Wawa-Mania, was fined 20,000 € and sentenced, in absentia, to a year in jail by a European court (after fleeing France for the Philippines), for his role in managing the site.<ref name = AndyTF15>{{cite journal | author = [Maxwell,] Andy | date = 2015-04-11 | title = Sentenced to Jail, Warez Operator Faces $30m Damages Claim | journal = TorrentFreak | url = https://torrentfreak.com/sentenced-to-jail-warez-operator-faces-30m-damages-claim-150410/ | access-date = 26 August 2016}}</ref> In the U.S., through 2004, more than 80 individuals had been prosecuted and convicted for trade in warez products (under the [[NET Act]] and other statutes), for movie and software pirating in particular, with a number of individuals being imprisoned, including some enthusiast traders.<ref name = Schwabach1406/>{{rp|p.308}}<ref>{{cite journal |author=Goldman, Eric |author-link=Eric Goldman |year=2004 |title=Warez Trading and Criminal Copyright Infringement |journal=Journal of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A. |volume=51 |issue=2 |pages=395–436, esp. 427 |ssrn=487163}} See also, Goldman, Eric (2004-01-07), "Warez Trading and Criminal Copyright Infringement," Working Paper, see [https://ssrn.com/abstract=487163] or [https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.487163].</ref>

However, laws and their application to warez activities may vary greatly from country to country;<ref>{{cite book |last=Eve |first=Martin Paul |url=https://punctumbooks.com/titles/warez-the-infrastructure-and-aesthetics-of-piracy/ |title=Warez: The Infrastructure and Aesthetics of Piracy |publisher=Punctum Books |year=2021 |access-date=2025-05-08}}</ref> for instance, while Wawa-Mania is under sanction in France, it remains in operation via a host in Moldova, and through use of an Ecuadorian top-level domain.<ref name = AndyTF15/> Hence, while high-profile web hosts and domain providers{{who|date=August 2016}} generally do not permit the hosting of warez, and delete sites found to be hosting them,{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} private endeavours and small commercial entities continue to allow the trade in warez to continue.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} And, in some countries, and at some times, software "piracy" has been encouraged, and international and usual national legal protections ignored.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} A dispute between [[Iran]] and United States over membership in [[WTO]] and subsequent U.S. block of Iran's attempts at full-membership has led Iran to encourage the copying of U.S. software; hence, there has been a subsequent surge in Iranian "warez" and "crackz" websites (as Iranian laws do not forbid [[Iran and copyright issues|hosting them inside Iran]]).{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} The same policy has been adopted by Antigua,{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} and others.<ref>{{cite book |last=Eve |first=Martin Paul |url=https://punctumbooks.com/titles/warez-the-infrastructure-and-aesthetics-of-piracy/ |title=Warez: The Infrastructure and Aesthetics of Piracy |publisher=Punctum Books |year=2021 |access-date=2025-05-08}}</ref>

==Distribution==
{{main|Warez scene}}
[[File:Warez Hierarchy.svg|thumb|Warez scene hierarchy.]]
Warez are often distributed outside of [[Warez scene|The Scene]] (a collection of warez groups) by [[.torrent|torrents]] (files including tracker info, piece size, uncompressed file size, comments, and vary in size from 1&nbsp;k, to 400&nbsp;k.) uploaded to a popular P2P website by an associate or friend of the cracker or cracking crew. An [[.nfo|nfo]] or [[FILE ID.DIZ]] is often made to promote who created the release. It is then leeched (downloaded) by users of the [[BitTorrent tracker|tracker]] and spread to other sharing sites using P2P, or other sources such as [[Newsgroup#Binary newsgroups|newsgroups]]. From there, it can be downloaded by millions of users all over the world. Often, one release is duplicated, renamed, then re-uploaded to different sites so that eventually, it can become impossible to trace the original file. Another increasingly popular method of distributing Warez is via [[one-click hosting]] websites.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-33338-5_9 | title=Paying for Piracy? An Analysis of One-Click Hosters' Controversial Reward Schemes | first1=Tobias | last1=Lauinger | first2=Engin | last2=Kirda | first3=Pietro | last3=Michiardi | series=Lecture Notes in Computer Science | via=[[Springer Science+Business Media]] | year=2012| volume=7462 | pages=169–189 | doi=10.1007/978-3-642-33338-5_9 | isbn=978-3-642-33337-8 }}</ref> In the early 1990s, warez were often published on bulletin boards that had a warez section.

===Rise of software infringement===
{{unreferenced section | date=March 2009}}
Unauthorized copying has been an ongoing phenomenon that started when high quality, commercially produced software was released for sale. Whether the medium was cassette tape or floppy disk, cracking enthusiasts found a way to duplicate the software and spread it without the permission of the maker. Bootlegging communities were built around the [[Apple II]], [[Commodore 64]], [[Atari 8-bit computers]], [[ZX Spectrum]],  [[Amiga]],  [[Atari ST]] and other systems. Entire networks of [[Bulletin board system|BBS]]es sprang up to traffic illegal software from one user to the next. Machines like the [[Amiga]] and the [[Commodore 64]] had an international network, through which software not available on one continent would eventually make its way to every region via [[bulletin board system]]s.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=April 1997 |title=Warez Wars |url=https://www.wired.com/1997/04/ff-warez/ |access-date=2025-05-08 |magazine=Wired}}</ref>

It was also common in the 1980s to use physical floppy disks and the [[mail|postal service]] for spreading software, in an activity known as ''mail trading''. Prior to the sale of software that came on CD-ROM discs and after hard drives had become available, the software did not require the floppy disc to be in the drive when starting and using the program. So, a user could install it onto their computer and mail the disk to the next person, who could do the same. Particularly widespread in continental Europe, mail trading was even used by many of the leading [[Software cracking|cracker]] groups as their primary channel of interaction. Software copyright violation via mail trading was also the most common means for many computer hobbyists in the [[Eastern bloc]] countries to receive new Western software for their computers.

[[File:Pftp-99.png|thumb|250px|right|A screen shot of {{Mono|pftp}} logged into several FTP sites. This tool was used by couriers to quickly and easily move large amounts of software from one site to many others. Since couriering was competitive, using this tool was considered cheating.]]
Copy-protection schemes for the early systems were designed to defeat casual duplication attempts, as "crackers" would typically release a copied game to the "pirate" community the day they were earmarked for market.

A famous event in the history of software copyright policy was an [[Open Letter to Hobbyists|open letter]] written by [[Bill Gates]] of [[Microsoft]], dated February 3, 1976, in which he argued that the quality of available software would increase if "software piracy" were less prevalent. However, until the early 1990s, software copyright infringement was not yet considered a serious problem by most people. In 1992, the [[Software Publishers Association]] began to battle against this phenomenon, with its promotional video "[[Don't Copy That Floppy]]". It and the [[Business Software Alliance]] have remained the most active anti-infringement organizations worldwide, although to compensate for extensive growth in recent years, they have gained the assistance of the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA), the [[Motion Picture Association of America]] (MPAA), as well as [[American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers]] (ASCAP) and [[Broadcast Music Incorporated]] (BMI).

Today most warez files are distributed to the public via [[BitTorrent (protocol)|bittorrent]] and [[One-click hosting|One-click hosting sites]]. Some of the most popular software companies that are being targeted are Adobe, Microsoft, Nero, Apple, DreamWorks, and Autodesk, to name a few. To reduce the spread of illegal copying, some companies have hired people to release "fake" torrents (known as [[Torrent poisoning]]), which look real and are meant to be downloaded, but while downloading the individual does not realize that the company that owns the software has received their [[IP address]]. They will then contact their [[Internet service provider|ISP]], and further legal action may be taken by the company/ISP.{{clarify|date=August 2016}}
<!--ummm, if the torrent is fake, then no copyright infringement has taken place, and therefore there are no grounds to sue. Also, if a representative of the company is distributing these goods, then copying it may be authorized, as a company or person cannot violate its own copyright.-->

===Causes that have accelerated its growth===
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2016 }}
Similar to [[televisions]] and [[telephones]], computers have become a necessity to every person in the [[information age]]. As the use of computers increased, so had [[cybercrime|software and cyber crimes]].

In the mid-1990s, the average [[Internet]] user was still on [[dial-up]], with average speed ranging between 28.8 and 33.6 [[Kilobit per second|kbit/s]]. If one wished to download a piece of software, which could run about 200 [[Megabyte|MB]], the download time could be longer than one day, depending on network traffic, the [[Internet Service Provider]], and the server. Around 1997, [[broadband]] began to gain popularity due to its greatly increased network speeds. As "large-sized file transfer" problems became less severe, warez became more widespread and began to affect large [[software]] files like [[animations]] and [[Film|movies]].

In the past, files were distributed by [[Point-to-point (telecommunications)|point-to-point]] technology: with a central uploader distributing files to downloaders. With these systems, a large number of downloaders for a popular file uses an increasingly larger amount of [[Bandwidth (computing)|bandwidth]]. If there are too many downloads, the server can become unavailable. The opposite is true for [[peer-to-peer]] networking; the ''more'' downloaders the ''faster'' the file distribution is. With swarming technology as implemented in [[file sharing]] systems like [[eDonkey2000]] or [[BitTorrent (protocol)|BitTorrent]], downloaders help the uploader by picking up some of its uploading responsibilities. There are many sites with links to One-click hosting websites and other sites where one can upload files that contribute to the growing amount of warez.

===Distribution via compromised FTP servers===
Prior to the development of modern peer-to-peer sharing systems and home broadband service, sharing warez sometimes involved warez groups scanning the Internet for weakly secured computer systems with high-speed connections. These weakly secured systems would be compromised by exploiting the poor [[File Transfer Protocol|FTP]] security, creating a special directory on the server with an unassuming name to contain the illegal content.<ref name="Koziol 2003 72">{{cite book | last = Koziol | first = Jack | title = Intrusion Detection with Snort | url = https://archive.org/details/intrusiondetecti00kozi | url-access = limited | publisher = Sams Publishing | year = 2003 | isbn = 978-1-57870-281-7 | page = [https://archive.org/details/intrusiondetecti00kozi/page/n92 72] }} ([https://books.google.com/books?id=W2xN6XmedWIC&dq=warez+compromise+ftp&pg=PA72 View cited page] using [[Google Books]])</ref><ref>Software Piracy Exposed: How Software is Stolen and Traded Over the Internet – By Paul Craig, Ron Honick, Mark Burnett, Published by Syngress, 2005, {{ISBN|1-932266-98-4}}, Chapter 7 – The Distribution Chain, Pages 144–145 ([https://books.google.com/books?id=cA3qL9PBR0kC&dq=warez+IRC&pg=PA145 View cited pages] using [[Google Books]])</ref>

A common mistake of early FTP administrators was to permit a directory named /incoming that allows full read and write access by external users, but the files themselves in /incoming were hidden; by creating a directory inside /incoming, this hidden directory would then allow normal file viewing.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} Users of the compromised site would be directed to log in and go to a location such as /incoming/data/warez to find the warez content. Messages could be left for other warez users by uploading a plain text file with the message inside.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}

Hackers would also use known software bugs to illicitly gain full administrative remote control over a computer, and install a hidden FTP service to host their wares.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} This FTP service was usually running on an unusual port number, or with a non-anonymous login name like "login: warez / Password: warez" to help prevent discovery by legitimate users; information about this compromised system would then be distributed to a select group of people who were part of the warez scene.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}

It was important for warez group members to regulate who had access to these compromised FTP servers, to keep the network bandwidth usage low.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} A site that suddenly became very popular would be noticed by the real owners of the equipment, as their business systems became slow or low on disk space; investigation of system usage would then inevitably result in discovery and removal of the warez, and tightening of the site security.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}

===Automated warez distribution via IRC bots===
As the ability to compromise and attain full remote control of business servers became more developed, the warez groups would hack a server and install an [[IRC]] bot on the compromised systems alongside the [[File Transfer Protocol|FTP]] service, or the IRC bot would provide file sharing directly by itself. This software would intelligently regulate access to the illicit data by using file queues to limit bandwidth usage, or by only running during off-hours overnight when the business owning the compromised hardware was closed for the day.<ref name="Koziol 2003 72"/>

In order to advertise the existence of the compromised site, the IRC software would join public IRC ''warez'' channels as a ''bot'' and post into the channel with occasional status messages every few minutes, providing information about how many people are logged into the warez host, how many files are currently being downloaded, what the upload/download ratio is (to force users into contributing data of their own before they can download), which warez distributor is running the bot, and other status information.<ref>{{cite book |title=Software Piracy Exposed: How Software is Stolen and Traded Over the Internet |author1=Paul Craig |author2=Ron Honick |author3=Mark Burnett |publisher=Syngress |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-932266-98-6 |chapter=Chapter 7 - The Distribution Chain |pages=[https://archive.org/details/softwarepiracyex0000crai/page/145 145–148] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/softwarepiracyex0000crai/page/145 }} ([https://books.google.com/books?id=cA3qL9PBR0kC&dq=warez+IRC&pg=PA145 View cited pages] using [[Google Books]])</ref>

This functionality still exists and can still be found on IRC ''warez'' channels, as an alternative to the modern and streamlined [[Peer-to-peer|P2P]] distribution systems.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Goldman|first=Eric|date=2004|title=Warez Trading and Criminal Copyright Infringement|journal=SSRN Working Paper Series|doi=10.2139/ssrn.487163|issn=1556-5068|url=https://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/facpubs/185|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ericgoldman.org/presentations/roadtonowarez.htm|title=A Road to No Warez: The No Electronic Theft Act and Criminal CopyrightInfringement, 82 Or. L. Rev. 369 (2003)|website=Eric Goldman|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-23}}</ref> The opportunity to find and compromise poorly secured systems on which to create an illicit warez distribution site has only increased with the popular use of broadband service by home users who may not fully understand the security implications of having their home computer always turned on and connected to the Internet{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}

==Types==
{{more citations needed section|date=August 2016}}
There is generally a distinction made between different sub-types of warez. The unusual spellings shown here were commonly used as directory names within a compromised server, to organize the files rather than having them all thrown together in a single random collection.

* '''Apps''' – [[Application software|Applications]]: Generally a retail version of a software package.
* '''Cracks''' – Cracked applications: A modified executable or more (usually one) and/or a library (usually one) or more and/or a patch designed to turn a trial version of a software package into the full version and/or bypass [[digital rights management|copy protections]].
* '''Dox''' – [[Video game]] add-ons: These include NoCDs, cracks, trainers, cheat codes etc.
* '''EBook''' – [[E-book]]s: These include unlicensed copies of e-books, scanned books, scanned comics, etc.
* '''Games''' – Video games: This scene concentrates on both computer and console games, often released as [[ISO image|ISO]] or other format disk image.
* '''Hacks''' – [[Security hacker|Simplified/Specific Hacking Tools]]: Programs designed to perform specific hacks at the click of a button, typically with a limited scope, such as [[AOHell]] and AOL4Free.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yaleherald.com/archive/xxiv/10.3.97/exclusive/letter.html |title=The Truth – by Nicholas Ryan |date=1997-04-17 |publisher=Yale Herald (David Cassel) |author=Nicholas Ryan |access-date=2017-05-14 |archive-date=2016-07-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160703011903/http://www.yaleherald.com/archive/xxiv/10.3.97/exclusive/letter.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://archive.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/1997/04/3309 |title=AOL4FREE Culprit Tells His Tale |date=1997-04-22 |magazine=Wired |author=David Cassel |access-date=2017-05-14}}</ref>
* '''Keygens''' – [[Keygen]] software are tools that replicate the registration/activation process of a genuine software product and generate the necessary [[Product key|keys]] to activate the software.
* '''Movies''' – [[Film|Movies]]: Unauthorized copies of movies, can be released while still in theaters or from CDs/DVDs/Blu-ray prior to the actual retail date.
* '''MP3s''' – [[MP3]] audio: Audio from albums, singles, or other sources usually obtained by [[Ripping|ripping a CD]] or a [[Radio music ripping|radio broadcast]] and released in the compressed audio format MP3.
* '''MVs/MVids''' – [[Music videos]] – Can be ripped from TV, HDTV, DVDs or VCDs.
* '''NoCD''', '''NoDVD''', '''FixedExe''' – A file modification that allows an installed program to be run without inserting the CD or DVD into the drive.
* '''RIP''' – A game that [[portable application|doesn't have to be installed]]; any required registry entry can be included as a .reg file. RIP games can be ripped of music and/or video files, or, for video games, [[ROM image|ROMs]], thus decreasing the size of the download.<ref>Software Piracy Exposed: How Software is Stolen and Traded Over the Internet – By Paul Craig, Ron Honick, Mark Burnett, Published by Syngress, 2005, {{ISBN|1-932266-98-4}}, Chapter 4 – Crackers, Pages 88–90 ([https://books.google.com/books?id=cA3qL9PBR0kC&dq=warez+RIPs+games&pg=PA90 View cited pages] using [[Google Books]])</ref> RIPs with nothing ripped out sometimes are referred to as DP (direct play).
* '''Portables''' – [[Portable applications]]: Similar to RIPs, but in this case they're software applications instead of video games. The point of portable software is the fact that it can be placed on removable media (or any place on the local hard drive) and doesn't need installing; usually it is compressed into one executable file, by using software like [[VMware ThinApp]] or [[MoleBox]].
* '''Scripts''' – [[Scripting language|Scripts]]: These include unlicensed copies of commercial scripts (such as vBulletin, Invision Power Board, etc.) coded by companies in [[PHP]], [[Active Server Pages|ASP]], and other languages.
* '''Subs''' – [[Subtitles]]: can be integrated in a TV-Rip or Movie.
* '''Serials''' – Refers to a collection of [[product key]]s such as [[serial numbers]] made available for the purpose of activating trial software, without payment.
* '''Templates''' – [[Web template]]s: These include leaked commercial website templates coded by companies.
* '''TV-Rips''' – [[TV|Television programs]]: Television shows or movies, usually with commercials edited out. Commonly released within a few hours after airing. DVD Rips of television series fall under this sub-type.
* '''XXX''' – [[Pornography]]: These can be imagesets, [[paysite]] videos or retail movies.
* '''Zero-day''' or '''0-day''' – Any copyrighted work that has been released the same day as the original product, or sometimes even before.<ref name=gehring>
{{cite book|last=Gehring|first=Verna V.|title=The Internet In Public Life|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-7425-4234-1|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8ETRQhDytIsC&q=warez+0-day&pg=PA47|page=47|chapter=Chapter 3: Do Hackers Provide a Public Service|date=2004-08-01|quote=Ideally, a warez d00d tries to release "0-day warez", copies of commercial software copied, cracked, and re-released on the first day the software is available for retail sale.
}}</ref> It is considered a mark of skill among warez distribution groups to crack and distribute a program on the same day as its commercial release.

==Movie infringement==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2016}}
{{Main|Pirated movie release types}}
[[Film|Movie]] [[copyright infringement]] was looked upon as impossible by the major studios. When [[dial-up]] was common in early and mid-1990s, movies distributed on the Internet tended to be small. The technique that was usually used to make them small was to use [[Video compression|compression]] software, thus lowering the video quality significantly. At that time, the largest copyright violation threat was software.

However, along with the rise in [[broadband]] internet connections beginning around 1998, higher quality movies began to see widespread distribution – with the release of [[DeCSS]], [[ISO 9660|ISO]] images copied directly from the original DVDs were slowly becoming a feasible distribution method. Today, movie sharing has become so common that it has caused major concern amongst movie studios and their representative organizations. Because of this the [[MPAA]] is often running campaigns during movie trailers where it tries to discourage people from copying material without permission. Unlike the music industry, which has had online music stores available for several years, the movie industry moved to online distribution only in 2006, after the launch of [[Amazon Unbox]].

Because of this, cameras are sometimes forbidden in movie theaters.

==File formats==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2016}}
{{details|Standard (warez)}}
A [[Compact disc|CD]] software release can contain up to 700&nbsp;[[megabytes]] of data, which presented challenges when sending over the Internet, particularly in the late 1990s when broadband was unavailable to most home consumers. These challenges apply to an even greater extent for a single-layer [[DVD]] release, which can contain up to 4.7&nbsp;[[Gigabyte|GB]] of data. The warez scene made it standard practice to split releases up into many separate pieces, called disks, using several file compression formats: (historical [[Tar (file format)|TAR]], [[LHA (file format)|LZH]], [[ACE (compression file format)|ACE]], UHA, [[ARJ]]), [[ZIP (file format)|ZIP]], and most commonly [[RAR (file format)|RAR]]. The original purpose of these "disks" was so that each .rar file could fit on a single 1.44&nbsp;MB 3½ inch [[floppy disk]]. With the growing size of games, this is no longer feasible, as hundreds of disks would need to be used. The average size of disks released by groups today are 50&nbsp;[[megabytes]] or 100&nbsp;megabytes, however it is common to find disks up to 200&nbsp;megabytes.

This method has many advantages over sending a single large file:
*The two-layer compression could sometimes achieve almost a tenfold improvement over the original DVD/CD image. The overall file size is cut down and lessens the transfer time and bandwidth required.
*If there is a problem during the file transfer and data was corrupted, it is only necessary to resend the few corrupted RAR files instead of resending the entire large file.
*This method also allows the possibility of downloading separate ‘disks’ from different sources, as an early attempt at modern segmented downloading.
**In the case of One-click hosting websites, downloading multiple files from one or several sources can significantly increase download speeds. This is because even if the source(s) provides slow download speeds on individual disks, downloading several disks simultaneously will allow the user to achieve much greater download rates.

Despite the fact that many modern ftp programs support segmented downloading, the compression via RAR, ZIP, and breaking up of files has not changed.

Releases of software titles often come in two forms. The '''full''' form is a full version of a game or application, generally released as CD or DVD-writable [[disk images]] ([[ISO image|BIN]] or [[ISO 9660 image|ISO]] files). A '''rip''' is a cut-down version of the title in which additions included on the legitimate DVD/CD (generally [[Portable Document Format|PDF]] manuals, help files, tutorials, and audio/video media) are omitted. In a game rip, generally all game video is removed, and the audio is compressed to MP3 or [[Vorbis]], which must then be decoded to its original form before playing. These rips are very rare today, as most modern [[broadband]] connections can easily handle the full files, and the audio is usually already compressed by the original producer in some fashion.

==Warez and malware==
There is a common perception that warez sites represent high risk in terms of [[malware]].<ref name="mobilemalware">{{cite web |title=Warez site riddled with mobile malware |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04/21/simworks_trojan_alert/ |first=John|last=Leyden |date=2005-04-21 |work=[[The Register]]}}</ref> In addition, there are several papers showing there is indeed correlation between warez/file sharing sites and [[malware]]. In particular, one study<ref>{{citation |title=A. Moshchuk, T. Bragin, S. D. Gribble, and H. M. Levy. A crawler-based study of spyware in the web. |author1=Alexander Moshchuk |author2=Tanya Bragin |author3=Steven D. Gribble |author4=Henry M. Levy |name-list-style=amp |publisher=In Proceedings of the 13th Network and Distributed System Security (NDSS '06) |date=February 2006 |url=http://homes.cs.washington.edu/~gribble/papers/spycrawler.pdf |access-date=2013-07-02 |archive-date=2014-03-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308021627/http://homes.cs.washington.edu/~gribble/papers/spycrawler.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> shows that out of all domains the study classified as ''pirate'', 7.1% are infected (while out of ''random'' domains only 0.4% were infected); another study<ref>{{citation|title=Monkey-Spider:Detecting Malicious Web Sites|first=Ali|last=Ikinci|date=May 2007|publisher=University of Mannheim, Laboratory for Dependable Distributed Systems|url=http://www1.cs.fau.de/filepool/thesis/diplomarbeit-2007-ikinci.pdf}}</ref> maintains that '"maliciousness" of the content for sites they classified as ''pirate'' (which specifically included ''warez'' sites) is the highest among all the researched site categories. Domains related to anti-copy protection tools are among the most malicious sites.<ref name="Kammerstetter:2012:VCM:2382196.2382282" /><ref name="Ikinci08monkey-spider:detecting">{{cite book |author1=Ali Ikinci |author2=Thorsten Holz |author3=Felix Freiling |chapter=Monkey-Spider: Detecting Malicious Websites with Low-Interaction Honeyclients |title=In Proceedings of Sicherheit, Schutz und Zuverlässigkeit |year=2008 |chapter-url=http://pi1.informatik.uni-mannheim.de/filepool/publications/monkey-spider.pdf |access-date=2013-07-03 |archive-date=2013-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102184633/http://pi1.informatik.uni-mannheim.de/filepool/publications/monkey-spider.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Another study specifically targeted anti-copy protection tools such as cracks and key generators. They conclude that the majority of these programs aim to infect the user's computer with one or more types of malware. The chance of the end-user being exposed to malicious code when dealing with cracked applications or games is more than 50%.<ref name="Kammerstetter:2012:VCM:2382196.2382282">{{cite book |author1=Markus Kammerstetter |author2=Christian Platzer |author3=Gilbert Wondracek |chapter=Vanity, cracks and malware: insights into the anti-copy protection ecosystem |title=Proceedings of the 2012 ACM conference on Computer and communications security |year=2012 |pages=809–820 |publisher=ACM |location=Raleigh, North Carolina, USA |series=CCS '12 |doi=10.1145/2382196.2382282 |isbn=978-1-4503-1651-4 |s2cid=3423843 |chapter-url=http://www.iseclab.org/papers/vanity_cracks_malware_ccs2012.pdf |access-date=2013-07-03 |archive-date=2015-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814215146/http://www.iseclab.org/papers/vanity_cracks_malware_ccs2012.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Infected warez directly from the [[warez scene]] on the other hand, is a very unusual occurrence. The malicious content is usually added at a later stage by third parties.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://torrentfreak.com/piracy-release-group-has-been-spying-on-downloaders-for-9-months-131111/ |title=Piracy Release Group Has Been Spying on Downloaders For 9 Months |date=2013-11-11 |author=Andy |website=[[TorrentFreak]]}}</ref>

==Demographics==

Warez traders share many similarities to both hackers and crackers. Primary warez distribution groups include a single cracker that renders all copy protected technologies in a warez inoperable. Unlike the typical age of a hacker and cracker, the general age and demographics of a warez trader are older and married IT professionals. The need for attention is another similarity between the groups as well as the belief that digital property should be free.<ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1177/0894439304271531 | title = The Challenges of Regulating Warez Trading | year = 2005 | last1 = Goldman | first1 = Eric | journal = Social Science Computer Review | volume = 23 | pages = 24–28|ssrn=652702 | s2cid = 6231304 | url = https://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/facpubs/620 | url-access = subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.itbusinessedge.com/slideshows/turning-zero-day-into-d-day-for-cybersecurity-threats-04.html/ |title=Turning Zero-Day into D-Day for Cybersecurity Threats |website=[[itBusinessEdge]] |access-date=2016-10-08 |archive-date=2021-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124151051/https://www.itbusinessedge.com/slideshows/turning-zero-day-into-d-day-for-cybersecurity-threats-04.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[.nfo]]
* [[Crack intro]]duction
* [[List of warez groups]]
* [[Open Music Model]]
* [[Software copyright]]
{{colend}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book | author =Chandra, Priyank | title = Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems | chapter = Order in the Warez Scene: Explaining an Underground Virtual Community with the CPR Framework | year = 2016 | series = Chi '16 | issue = May | pages = 372–383 | location = New York, NY | publisher = [[Association for Computing Machinery]] (ACM) | chapter-url = http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2858341 | access-date = 26 August 2016| doi = 10.1145/2858036.2858341 | isbn = 9781450333627 | s2cid = 15919355 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Eve |first1=Martin Paul |title=Warez The Infrastructure and Aesthetics of Piracy. |date=2021 |location=Brooklyn, NY |isbn=978-1-68571-036-1}}
* {{cite journal | author = Goldman, Eric | year = 2004 | title = Warez Trading and Criminal Copyright Infringement | journal = Journal of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A. | volume = 51 | issue = 2 | pages = 395–436, esp. 427 | ssrn = 487163 }} See also, Goldman, Eric (2004-01-07), "Warez Trading and Criminal Copyright Infringement," Working Paper, at [https://ssrn.com/abstract=487163] or [https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.487163].
* Goldman, Eric (2005), "The Challenges of Regulating Warez Trading," ''Social Science Computer Review,'' Vol. 23, No. 24, see [https://ssrn.com/abstract=652702].
* {{cite journal | author = Rehn, Alf | year = 2004 | title = The politics of contraband: The honor economies of the warez scene | journal = The Journal of Socio-Economics | volume = 33 | issue = 3, July | pages = 359–374 | doi=10.1016/j.socec.2003.12.027| s2cid = 46154259 }}
* {{cite journal | author = Rosokoff, Jacqueline | date = 2012-02-02 | title = The Rules All Digital Music Services Must Follow | journal = TuneCore | format = blogpost | location = Brooklyn, NY | publisher = [[TuneCore]], Inc. | url = http://www.tunecore.com/blog/2012/02/the-rules-all-digital-music-services-must-follow.html | access-date = 26 August 2016}} 
* {{cite book | author = Schwabach, Aaron | year = 2014 | title = Internet and the Law: Technology, Society, and Compromises | edition = 2nd, revised | location = Santa Barbara, CA | publisher = ABC-CLIO | series = EBSCO ebook academic collection | isbn = 978-1610693509 | pages = 247f, and ''passim'' | url = https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1610693507 | access-date = 26 August 2016}} The earlier edition is {{cite book | author = Schwabach, A. | year = 2006 | title = Internet and the Law… | series = ABC-CLIO's contemporary world issues | isbn = 978-1851097319 | pages = 307–309, and ''passim'' | url = https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1851097317 }}, with same publisher and access date.
* {{cite book | author = Witt, Stephen | year = 2015 | title = How Music Got Free: The End of an Industry, the Turn of the Century, and the Patient Zero of Piracy | location = London | publisher = Penguin | isbn = 978-0698152526 | pages = 71f, 88f. 99, 105ff, 139ff, 161ff, 183, 217, 226, 268ff, and ''passim'' | url = https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0698152522 | access-date = 26 August 2016}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Commonscat}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070425094324/http://old.wheresthebeef.co.uk/show.php/guide/ 2600 A Guide to Piracy] – An article on the warez scene (ASCII plaintext and image scans from ''[[2600: The Hacker Quarterly]]'')
*[https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.01/topsite.html "The Shadow Internet"] – An article about modern day warez "top sites" at [[Wired News]].
*[http://www.bearcave.com/misl/misl_tech/msdrm/darknet.htm The Darknet and the Future of Content Distribution]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061120161434/http://www.bsa.org/globalstudy/upload/2005-Global-Study-English.pdf BSA – Global Piracy Study – 2005] ([[PDF]])
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061120161418/http://www.bsa.org/globalstudy/upload/Global-Software-Piracy-Study-English.pdf BSA – Global Piracy Study – 2004] (PDF)
*[http://www.pinkmachine.com/PMP/nr12.pdf Ordered Misbehavior – The Structuring of an Illegal Endeavor] by Alf Rehn. A study of the illegal subculture known as the "warez scene". (PDF)
*[http://www.textfiles.com/piracy/ Piracy Textfiles] – A historical collection of documents released by warez-related individuals.
*[https://ssrn.com/abstract=487163 Warez Trading and Criminal Copyright Infringement] – An article on warez trading and the law, including a recap of US prosecutions under the No Electronic Theft Act.

{{Forms of pirated film releases}}

[[Category:Warez| ]]