Don t know if it s appropirate to point fingers on a single group ….
Even if Paranoima was accused as the first & the scene rejected them …
later on the most of the prosecutors did the same …
At the beginning of the 90 decade every major release crew started buying cracks (more or less).
I cannot see a big difference between cash or hardware, cards or whatever for the crackers … it remains payment! (I would say with some minor exceptions this suits it quite well)
Like everybody said and many complained about it during that area
… decreasing fun and friendship … business all around … That points it out quite obviously …