After selling what may be stolen copies of Fallout 3 (PS3 and Xbox 360), indie retailer Awesome Games ends up paying the game's publisher, Bethesda, some monetary damages. The independent retailer stocked up on copies of the game from an unofficial source, believing the stock to be imported. Big mistake.

Apart from receiving an undisclosed sum for damages, Bethesda also made a few injunctions against Awesome Games and its proprietor Ahnes Qureshi to prevent the retailer from infringing on their IP in the future. “We take such matters as the theft of our stock very seriously and will rigorously pursue any individual or company who perpetrates such acts,” commented Bethesda MD Sean Brennan. “While it may be tempting to buy games from unknown sources and to release games early, it’s just not worth the risk, as Mr. Qureshi will attest.”

And attest Qureshi did. "I have learnt a lesson from this and I apologise unreservedly. It has cost me dearly and I will certainly never repeat this mistake. I would advise other indies not to buy from unofficial sources or they may end up in the same trouble I did,” he said, presumably feeling not-so-awesome right now.

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Something else that's troubling Bethesda:

• Take three, aaaaand action! Fallout 3 The Pitt tries a third time