Is Asia Pacific Version a Pirated Version?

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Author Topic:   Is Asia Pacific Version a Pirated Version?

mael posted 06-02-99 05:58 AM ET
As topic. I actually bought this version which suppose to be an original version from
a shop in Singapore(If u like i can email u the shop name and address). However it was cleary stated not for sale in US or something like that. So if anynone in firaxis can actually comment on this a lot of us will appreciate it.
Thanks
TurkeyTom posted 06-02-99 09:31 PM ET
I know here in Australia various games are sold as 'Asia/Pacific' editions and are not for sale in the US or UK. My versions of SMAC and Steel Panthers (by SSI) are both Asia/Pacific versions. I believe, with SSI anyway, they had licensed companies in Asia to manufacture the games for them. This was to deliver a lower price in Asia. Imported games to Asia would be more expensive because of the exchange rate comparisions with the US and UK.
MichaeltheGreat posted 06-03-99 01:50 AM ET
TurkeyTom is right, but it's not a price issue, its in some cases an anti-piracy issue (specific hidden copy protection/piracy detection in business apps).
In games and the majority of cases, it is a trade and tariff issue - resale of the offshore produced version of the game into the US would trigger specific duties and tariffs, and count as "exported" software to the US, as defined in various bilateral trade agreements, even though the intellectual property origin is US, not foreign.
It's just one more vestige of protectionism, and the inability of trade, customs and tax bureaucrats to grasp the complexity of multinational commerce in general, and multinational commerce in intellectual property in particular.
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Author	Topic: Is Asia Pacific Version a Pirated Version?
mael	posted 06-02-99 05:58 AM ET As topic. I actually bought this version which suppose to be an original version from a shop in Singapore(If u like i can email u the shop name and address). However it was cleary stated not for sale in US or something like that. So if anynone in firaxis can actually comment on this a lot of us will appreciate it. Thanks
TurkeyTom	posted 06-02-99 09:31 PM ET I know here in Australia various games are sold as 'Asia/Pacific' editions and are not for sale in the US or UK. My versions of SMAC and Steel Panthers (by SSI) are both Asia/Pacific versions. I believe, with SSI anyway, they had licensed companies in Asia to manufacture the games for them. This was to deliver a lower price in Asia. Imported games to Asia would be more expensive because of the exchange rate comparisions with the US and UK.
MichaeltheGreat	posted 06-03-99 01:50 AM ET TurkeyTom is right, but it's not a price issue, its in some cases an anti-piracy issue (specific hidden copy protection/piracy detection in business apps). In games and the majority of cases, it is a trade and tariff issue - resale of the offshore produced version of the game into the US would trigger specific duties and tariffs, and count as "exported" software to the US, as defined in various bilateral trade agreements, even though the intellectual property origin is US, not foreign. It's just one more vestige of protectionism, and the inability of trade, customs and tax bureaucrats to grasp the complexity of multinational commerce in general, and multinational commerce in intellectual property in particular.