Microsoft issues XBL permabans to illegit Forza 3, Borderlands players

DO NOT PIRATE VIDEOGAMES.

Ok, with that out of the way, here's an after-school-special-friendly example of why pirating's for suckers. See, if you somehow managed to nab an illegitimate early copy of Forza 3 or Borderlands, you're cruising for an Xbox Live permaban.

"You know, when you play a pre-release title on LIVE when I know you shouldn’t have it, it’s not hard for me to figure out," tweeted Xbox Live Director of Policy and Enforcement Stephen Toulouse.

Now, if your retailer of choice merely broke the game's street date, that's another story. Toulouse explained:

"Don't worry folks, anyone who bought a copy early is ok. In general, if you got a receipt, play away. These are illegit copies we're hitting."

He said nothing, however, about people who stole either game from a retailer. Our guess? You scoundrels are probably in the clear. Well, online anyway. But the police probably won't touch your precious Gamerscore. Probably.