http://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=26835
--- Comment #84 from Timothy Pearson kb9vqf@pearsoncomputing.net 2011-04-23 13:34:44 CDT ---
I think people know that Linux users are ready to buy Linux games and they pay almost 3 times more than windows users (according to humblebundle.com where you pay as much as you want). So that's not a problem. To call the crack as the patch is too polite. It's a crack and it allows legal buyers to play on platform other than windows. For example, I have no windows installed at all but I want to buy games to play. I bought the game and can do anything with it on my own computer. If people want to claim Linux users as thieves they will do it anyway. Those who actually can read will notice that crack here is mentioned only as the way of launching the game because without it the game just crashes. Nobody here said «Hi, I've downloaded Portal 2 ISO from torrents so how could I play without purchasing it?» (well, except me who just said that).
tl;dr: let's call a spade a spade and don't be puritanic at least here.
I would agree if it weren't for the DMCA, which strictly forbids the removal of content protection systems, even if you own the product in question. Now that we know the bug is in the DRM it makes a legal mess for anyone trying to play this game when it is installed on a non-NTFS file system, as the crack "fixes" the game by removing the content protection system.
Is this another case where U.S. law protects large corporations while stealing from the consumer? Yes. Is there anything that can be done about it? No, at least if you still decide to purchase/use the products in question.