# Do software DVDs have region coding?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-software-dvds-have-region-coding/268161>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 8, 2004, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-software-dvds-have-region-coding/268161 "2004-10-08T05:19:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-software-dvds-have-region-coding/268161/1 "2004-10-08T05:19:54Z")

</div>

On one hand, this seems like such a simple question to find an answer to that I’m hesitant to ask it.

On the other, I’ve searched around a fair bit and haven’t found anything, so here goes…

Do software DVDs (like the recent release of Sims 2) have region coding like movie DVDs do? I bought Sims 2 on CD-ROMs because I couldn’t find a clear answer to this at Amazon and didn’t want to shell out $50+ only to discover that my computer couldn’t even read the discs.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-software-dvds-have-region-coding/268161/2 "2004-10-08T05:34:05Z")

</div>

No.

Data discs don’t have region coding. They’re just data.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-software-dvds-have-region-coding/268161/3 "2004-10-08T07:27:23Z")

</div>

Region Coding is enforced by movie production companies. All other uses, such as DVD-Rom data, games, and software, do not have a ruling body that enforces it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-software-dvds-have-region-coding/268161/4 "2004-10-08T07:41:01Z")

</div>

Thanks. It seemed like a straightforward matter, but I didn’t risking my money on it.

Well, actually I more concerned of having to wait an extra month to send my purchase back and get the CD version. I mean, we’re talking about _Sims 2_, for Og’s sake!