Downloading from file sharing sites is like speeding. Nobody thinks they’ll get caught since everyone does it and they figure there won’t be much of a consequence. The next thing you know there’s flashing lights behind you and a big fat fine in your lap. It’s the same way with downloading games. A woman in the UK downloaded a copy of Dream Pinball 3D and found herself on the paying end of a hefty, hefty fine. A suit was filed against her by the game’s developer and a court ordered her to pay 6,000 GBP in damages and 10,000 GBP in costs and disbursements.

While it’s true that piracy is a major problem in many entertainment media, should it be the people who consume it that pay these hefty prices? Drug laws in many countries distinguish between the user and the trafficker. Does a woman who skimped on the 20 Euros the game costs deserve the responsibility for recouping the losses on a relatively generic pinball game? Is this simply a scare tactic to get people to stop downloading from file servers because it’s easier to track down the users than those responsible for it?