2 new maps (something useful this time)

[OwnZ joO]

It is not illegal... If you think it is illegal because it is messing with the copyright, you may wannta go read up on what a copyright really is. Modding halo or the xbox cannot be illegal otherwise wouldn't you have already heard of people getting put in jail for it? I don't think you have. Modding is not illegal... Period.

Yes it is "illegal, they just don't do anything about it, unless people are commercially modding xbox's. Somebody just got arrested for that the other day, I read it on xbox-scene. And it is illegal to mod Halo 2, because it's against the rules you agreed to when you "purchased" and played Halo 2. You don't own Halo 2, you are "borrowing it" basically. Also as for the patches, the differences in the map file would be enough that the whole sbsp would be in there(compressed and everything so you wouldn't be able to search for it without unraring it) so you do have copyrighted material in it, but it's better than distributing map files, either way you're trying to get copyrighted material for free, so it's obviously illegal.
I'm not saying don't do it, that's your choice if you want to, but stop saying it isn't illegal, it is.

[Yamagushi]

Copyrights are tricky, ur all right its both legal and illegal as odd as it sounds.

Legal in the sense that the "illegal copyrighted files" you are referring to are already on your legally owned cd, therefore your simply receiving a backup of those files when u have a patch.

Illegal in the sense that yes by playing/buying the game u did agree you wouldnt modify the files, however the law that protects this isnt international. its a US law so its avoidable.

[ScottyGEE]

this is illegal...can't be done.

You know why? the reason we use patches is because it means that anyone who uses them HAS to have the game in order to use them. What you are proposing is that we make a patch for people who have halo 2, and give it to people who have not paid for the maps. If we do this it is ILLEGAL, because you are giving out things that people have not paid for.

Sure, in a way one could say that the patches themselves are legal, which is the truth, the patches are used so we can all mod without the site going to hell. But your still doing things to avoid paying for content which is something your supposed to do.

That's my arguement, if another staff member disagrees, then by all means unblock the topic, but I believe it to be wrong.

How about this? you guys support the company we all love and pay for the maps ok?

We have a rule in place about this, no alternate discussions about obtaining the new maps.