• Ars Technica, Wednesday, October 1, 2008 11:30 AM

Software or media piracy is a tough thing to combat, and going after individual transgressors is almost certainly the least efficient way of doing it. But that didn't stop the RIAA, and now, it would seem, it's not deterring game manufacturer Activision Blizzard.

The maker of "Call of Duty 3" has apparently begun quietly bringing lawsuits against individuals who have pirated copies of its popular war game. And while one might assume those being sued had downloaded the copies off the Net, that doesn't seem to be the case. Instead, Activision Blizzard appears to be suing people who have simply made physical copies.

Precisely how the company is going about this is unclear. But what is clear is that most of those targeted have been eager to settle, for about $100,000 each so far. The company declined to comment, but its targets and other sources detail a plan marked by scare tactics, such as threatening to sue based not on the value of what was stolen, but on the value of a target's home, car and other belongings.

Read the whole story at Ars Technica »