Im really for free sites. But when the discussion here comes to EA and the EULA, things sometimes tend to be ...a little onesided. What about the other part, the rest of the EULA? My english are so bad so itīs easier for me to post quotations:
kathy (insem):
"I am completely bored with all this paysite drama now. I don't pay for it and won't pay for it however this has gotten completely out of hand. Someone, Dr Pixel I believe, pointed out that anyone who has modified the game has broken the EULA and this is true. So in short all sites, free and pay, are screwed. As much as I love or loved this community the last 6 months or so has caused nothing but grief for many people and have caused them to say to hell with this community and for what? Because someone has a pay file? Boo-freaking-hoo. I support free sites, I always have and always will but with this crusade continuing as it is we are pushing a disrespect for all creators, whether they be for free or for pay, and it has become sickening".
Dr pixel:
"Another point I wanted to bring up is this -
Everybody is fond of quoting the part of the Eula which says you can't sell custom content for the game, which it does in fact say. Although to be honest, it would be difficult to prove, legally, that most paysites are in fact selling the "content" as opposed to simply selling access to the site, except those few sites that do charge by the piece.
However, everyone convieniently ignores the part of the EULA that says you are not allowed to "disassemble" or "reverse engineer" the game contents.
Simply put, this means you can't pick-apart the game files in a hex-=editor or by other means, to see how they are put together. Without doing this, NONE of the game editing tools like SimPE or any of the mesh import/export tools would be possible.
Now, like paysites, this is an area that Maxis/EA chooses to look the other way on - but, the truth is that the vast majority of Sims2 sites, whether free, or pay, are in violation of the EULA in one way or another.
The only sites that are strictly in compliance would be ones that offered content made using ONLY the Maxis supplied editing tools - meaning clothing, makeup, and hair "skins" for use on original Maxis meshes ONLY (no custom body/hair/accessory meshes), Custom lots using ONLY Maxis made objects (not even user-made recolors of Maxis objects, let alone objects with user-made meshes), and custom walls/floors made using Maxis HomeCrafter.
Hacked objects? Custom Careers? New animations? No way! Almost everything you all love to download is in violation of the EULA.
Remember that when you ask Maxis to enforce their EULA..."
In many ways maybe itīs more decent to say like Marhis, insem.
"Who cares about EA rights? I care about my rights, that are not being mocked and conned".
http://www.insimenator.net/showthread.php?t=48575&highlight=PAYSITE+THREAD&page=5