Would this be counted as stealing?

[ResoluteSheep]

There’s an app called HOOKED, and as it’s name suggests, the stories really get me hooked onto what’s going on. It’s an app where it features text messaging between two or more people and we have to tap the screen to get the next message. They count how many taps we have and we have a limited number before we have to wait 38 minutes before continuing. The only way to have unlimited taps or “hoots” is to purchase it and pay over a monthly or yearly period.

There are a few websites which post these full stories online, and you can freely read it without paying a single cent. These stories are taken from HOOKED itself though… would it be sinful and would this count as “stealing” from HOOKED?

 

[Crusaderbear]

If the material is copyrighted to Hooked, it could be stealing. If the stories are taken from public domain and used in the game, then maybe not. Can they be found in an online library?

 

[Beryllos]

Perhaps HOOKED has Terms and Conditions or a User License Agreement that you could read to determine whether the posting of the stories constitutes a violation. If it does, then perhaps you should not access the stories.

You know, there must be a million great stories you can access free online or at public libraries. Why bother with stories that may have been illegally gotten?

 

[ResoluteSheep]

If the material is copyrighted to Hooked, it could be stealing. If the stories are taken from public domain and used in the game, then maybe not. Can they be found in an online library?

I’ve read up on their terms. The only things copyrighted to them are their personal things like logo, brand, etc. All the stories are from various users, so they didn’t mention anything like that. I’m still not too sure though, because Hooked makes money off the stories so even though the stories are not exclusively theirs (considering how people send their stories in to be published), it still feels a bit like stealing from Hooked if I read the stories off other places