Putting experience on resume from a project that used source code without permission

Question

I'm currently a senior at my university and am looking to graduate this upcoming summer. I've been trying to add more depth to my resume, and one of my biggest sources of experience has actually been a personal involvement in the private server gaming community.

I started picking up code and projects in the private server gaming community for the past 6-7 years and a lot I learned came from an amalgamation of other developers there and just personal projects.

However, the issue is a lot of my derived experience from there stems from the fact that the source code is pulled from times where code was leaked, client code was leaked, etc.

Even now, I'm developing under a team that runs a private server that peaked over 300 concurrent users and there were a lot of issues that we had to address regarding concurrency and scalability/performance. It was really fun retrospectively and extremely informing-building off the source code we received and creating entirely new projects, games, additions to the game.

And thus this creates a huge platform from where I built and applied a lot of the skills I learned in college in a real-world application.

I'm afraid, however, that I can't really mention this on a resume, especially if I'm applying to some sort of game company.

"Oh, 300 concurrent players? What game is this?"

I can already see the complications arising (especially regarding the legality of the project). Is there any way I can word this or play about it in a way where I can use this to bolster my resume, since it's been a very big part of my life.

Answer 1

If I understand this correctly, your years of experience are with pirated game software? Otherwise this question wouldn't exist, correct?

I think more than just game companies may take a dim view of the manner in which you respect IP. I would leave that experience off your resume entirely. That's part of the deal when you use stolen goods. That's part of the benefit gained from acquiring things legitimately.

Imagine a drug dealer who makes $5k dealing. He can take that cash and spend it on small things, maybe pay rent with it, but nothing major. The money is easy to spend.

Now imagine that same dealer makes $50k, spending it will be harder. You will encounter obstacles when trying to purchase a new $30k vehicle with a backpack full of $20 and $100 bills. They have more money but it's harder to spend.

Now if that same person made $500k from drugs, they have more money but they can't purchase a $400k house with a briefcase full of $100s. Still more money but also still harder to spend.

So the criminal has to launder their money. They buy a pizza place, spend a healthy % of their money to waste, taxes, etc but in the end they are able to get money they can spend easier, but still nowhere near as easy as if they earned it legally.

Your experience is like the money in that example. You need to clean it, by doing a side project with your acquired skills, and not expect to be able to use all of it. It wasn't acquired legally, just let some of it go and move on.

Honestly you will still be way ahead of most CS seniors with a well implemented moderate side project that works and looks semi professional.

Answer 2

The technical part of your experience is great, but might not help you at most companies. The problem is that while it demonstrates your technical chops, it also seems to indicate a very relaxed attitude towards intellectual property rules, and maybe not great business judgement. Many development companies won't like that, even if it wasn't their software involved. Companies have to be careful about dotting 'i's and crossing 't's when it comes to IP, because it can land them in giant lawsuits (see Uber's problems in this area). Having an employee who's willing to write in a more or less public document that they've worked with pirated software, might be seen as too high risk.

I've never worked in gaming or security though. Attitudes may be different there. Certainly talented folks have found jobs in security even with actual criminal records.