The patch offers no content whatsoever unless you actually have purchased the game - it's something that was made publically available to all ppl that have Civ 4. Anyone that does not have a copy of Civ 4 would derive no use whatsoever from this file. Hosting it on any site would have the same restrictions, you will gain no use from it unless you have a copy of Civ 4.Clown2TheLeft said:Okay.
It is illegal to publish works that are not your own, without express consent of the works' author --in this case, Firaxis/Take 2.
I'm a writer. I've had websites publish my stories online without my consent. Some of these were bona-fide crooks, but most were well-meaning, but bumbling fans that thought they were "helping me out," by "bringing me a wider audience," when, in fact, they were pirating my works.
I realize the Internet is a haven for this sort of thing, and most people do it without realizing they're breaking the law. Most common example: you see a picture online you think would make a cool desktop. You copy it and put it on your computer. Unless the photographer said you could --or issued a blanket statement that says the photo is for free use-- you're guilty of copyright violation.
This is not exactly what's going on with illegal copies of the patch being posted online, but it's close. Unless the publisher of the game authorizes you to operate a mirror site, you cannot offer the file for download. That they did not charge a fee for it is irrelevant --the rights to publish and distribute the work are those of the publisher, not the end-user.
Later!
--The Clown to the Left
Hell, some places even use bittorrent (blizzard?).
ed: This is actually a bit intriguing to me... I could see how it could be against a EULA if a company decides to add it, but how would this be a violation of copyright law?