John Romero, co-creator of Doom, has recalled how id Software once struck an unusual arrangement with Taiwanese software pirates: rather than trying to stop them producing unauthorised copies of the game, the studio supplied them with empty, official Doom boxes so that fans buying pirated discs would at least receive genuine packaging. Romero framed the move not as tacit endorsement of piracy but as a pragmatic distribution strategy in a market id Software had no formal presence in, ensuring players still got something resembling a legitimate product.

The anecdote, shared by Romero, illustrates the freewheeling approach id Software took to reaching international audiences in Doom's early-1990s heyday, when formal distribution channels in places like Taiwan were limited and piracy was rampant. Romero's phrase "for us, it was distribution" underscores how the studio prioritised getting the game into players' hands over strictly enforcing copyright, treating the pirate market as an unconventional but effective way to expand Doom's reach.