In this thread, I was referring to the ability to purchase various games off of key reseller sites for "lower than standard RRP" (50/60EUR Steam here in the EU).
I wasn't talking about stolen keys, fraduently obtained, etc.
We (the consumer), don't know how those keys were obtained wholesale and "too good to be true" doesn't hold up to legal scrutiny (if I buy a 60EUR game for 30EUR, who says it's illegal? How about 25? 10?)
Also, you all mention lawsutis. What lawsuits? Against who? Eg. EA suing me personally for buying DA:I for 25 EUR day one? Wonder how that would work...
But on that point, Mad Max sold for 10GBP day one, seems to be working perfectly. What's up with that? I don't see WB going on a worldwide crackdown over this?
I am certain that few (if any) keys on all these sites are plain stolen or illegal in a true sense of the word. They're just obtainted wholesale via various loopholes in contracts or via willful participation from a publisher (or part of a publisher: local distribution office, for example), as JackDaniels explained.
Again, going to my original post, I am certainly not going to be part of a publisher defense force.
It's a free market in which I'm finding products I want while paying for them in a perfectly legal manner.
If this practice is so widespread and damaging, its up to them, and them alone to fix it in the market by whatever legal means necessary.