Wetwarez

Wetwarez is wetware warez.

While "dead" wetwarez (deadwarez) distros (consisting only of DNA) are some of the most common due to easy of storage and shipment, the best and most desirable wetwarez distributions are self-replicating (livewarez), e.g. E. coli containing a plasmid, often moved as stab cultures, on trehalose or lyophilized, though the most well-equipped wetwarez distributors will have portable neg80 (-80 C) stirling rigs for moving icewarez (wetwarez that must be kept at < ~ -40 C).

One of the more exotic categories of wetwarez is a type of icewarez that must be stored not just on dry ice, but on deep ice (below the glass-transition temperature of water, often liquid nitrogen). This is usually referred to as vitriwarez even though it does not always involve vitrification.

While some wetwarez distros are accomplished by sneakernetting physicals through meatspace (aka wetspace) it is currently possible to order even patent-encumbered DNA from synthesis companies. One might think that they check uploaded DNA against a database, and they do, yet it is not a database of known patents but a database of known biosafety and biosecurity hazards. The synthesis companies will happily make you patented sequences as long as you don't publicly re-distribute, at which point they worry that the patent-holders might notice and lawsuits might start flying which then might surface the truth of who exactly manufactured the illegal DNA. At least one wetwarez distro group has been banned by IDT though this was quickly bypassed using a fake name and a new shipping address. It seems inevitable that this lax situation will come to an end. It's probably only a matter of time before DNA SaaS (synthesis as a service) companies and even the manufacturers of synthesizers implement youtube-style "intellectual property" scans on all uploads. When that happens the only way to synth from drywarez (digital wetwarez, from dry lab) will be using a jailbroken wetware fabricator (DNA synthesizer) hooked to the dark www (warez wetweb).

Note that neither illegally trafficked animals / animal parts nor current gen black market organs for transplant are considered wetwarez as warez implies copying of materials (bypassing of laws enacting false scarcity) and does not extend to theft.

Also note that the term wetwarez should not be used interchangably with the term biopiracy. Biopiracy is more aptly referred to as biological or scientific colonialism and revolves around attempts by usually western corporations to control and enact false scarcity upon wetware taken without permission from developing countries in order to extract rent on nature itself. Most of the wetwarez community will shun anyone found violating the Nagoya Protocol whether in letter, by sneakernetting, or in spirit, by sequencing in-country, transmitting as digital wetware across the border and then synthesizing at home base in some kind of sick twist on the Zimmerman Bypass.