Kyp

Like several other people have said, I pirate because I can't afford the software. It's simple as that. If I wasn't able to pirate the software, I still wouldn't buy it, because I'm poor as fuk. Companies are not loosing 1 dime by me pirating software because they wouldn't be getting it anyways. That's how I justifty my piracy. And it makes complete sense to me.

If I did have enough money to spare for software, I would probably buy some of it, but a lot of software that I have on my computer I very rarely use, so really I can't much justify spending hundreds of dollars on something that gets very little use. Especially if the use is only for 1 week or something, as many programs end up getting, because I find out that they suck.

When I've watched a movie I've downloaded that I've really liked, I have gone to the theatre to see it and/or bought the DVD. I assume if I could afford it that if I found a good peice of software that I pirated, and I really liked it and used it a lot, I would also buy it if I could afford it. I can't, though.

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When life gives you lemons, sqeeze the juice into a squirt gun and shoot people in the eyes

docbungle

If I buy a novel, and it's good, I will lend it to whomever I choose.

If I buy a dvd, and it's good, I will lend it to whomever I choose. Hell, I may even give it to them as a gift.

If I buy a software program, and it's good, I will lend it to whomever I choose.

I own it, and I will do with it whatever I choose. The hell with anyone who has a problem with that.

Seriously.

rubicon

I'm sorry if you feel that someone else's opinions are offensive. There's a saying, "opinions are like assholes, everyone has them." Everyone is entitled to have their opinion whether I like it or not.

From my perspective, I stand firm on the notion "if you can't afford it you can't afford it." Cars, telephones, and computers are luxuries - even if our culture/society can't go without them. Fortunately, there is public transportation, existing phone customers help pay for low-income phone users ( take a look at the 10+ taxes on your phone bill ), and libraries offer free computer use.

I've had difficult times financially. I was used to having good paying jobs and when I attempted a career change, I saw my bank account dwindle down to about $300 with a $750 rent and $400 car payment coming up. This happened a few times but I made it through it. I'm married now but my "own" income isn't huge and I don't buy computer stuff with the "joint" money - I buy it with mine. I sell a lot of crap on eBay to help finance other stuff. I don't assume everyone else has it good, but I assume they have the power to make things happen for themselves.

But I hear what you're saying and it's cool.

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How you do anything is how you do everything.

Konichiwaneko

Doc technically this is legal, because the license says that it's per computer. So if you lend it out, and don't use it while it's out...then that is legal.

The think is...you bought it.

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bryanzera

Me: (calling my friend) Hey, Steve. Are you using that copy of Office I loaned you?
Steve: No. Not right now. Why?
Me: I wanted to make sure you weren't using it when I did. Thanks.

laconic1

I try to use more affordable alternatives or not use it at all with most software. Yeah some things in OpenOffice or AbiWord aren't as easy to use as MS Word , and GIMP probably can't do everything that Photoshop can, but at least I don't have to think about software licensing even though I know I won't ever get caught if I decide to run pirated stuff.

Konichiwaneko

My friend wanted to put an x where he would be able to shoot a desert eagle into his computer so that if the feds ran in they wouldn't have any evidence.

Clear line right through 3 hard drives.

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Fire

Some programs for Graphic Design do not do what they advertise- if I bought them all I would go Broke- if they are lying on the back of the box- I get fucked- therefore, fuck them, I try out a pirated copy first, and if its worth it Then I buy it - this policy does not extend to microsoft, who is the closest thing to pure evil that I have yet encountered- is it right to pirate microsoft prods beacause of this - no- but then if that sends me to hell at least I can make fun of bill gates while i'm there.

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Thought the harder, Heart the bolder,
Mood the more as our might lessens

gibingus

That's the ticket right there. Part of going pro is going legit on your production tools. We buy OEM licenses on major software to cover our machines on the floor, but people take it home to install on their personal machines so they can do some work from home. I'm not going to buy seperate licenses for home use and office, but we stay above board here on the ranch.

nulltype

It's called Linux.


Hell, you don't even HAVE to pirate ;)

Konichiwaneko

The arguement is of course between what is tangible and what isn't.

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Dilbert1234567

i 'try' software befor i buy it, but as for music, f*ck RIAA i can buy 100 CDR's for the same price that they sell 1 CD for. F*CK RIAA IN THE *SS

(sorry Mod had to use the words)

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Donate Blood!

"Love is not finding the perfect person, but learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." -Sam Keen

Konichiwaneko

Not taking sides Dilbert, but curiousity makes me want to ask this.

Your arguement is because the cost of the medium.

So you would support paying say $1.50 a song? I mean..you get average about 10 songs a cd. Cd cost about $15.00, so the math says instead of cd you can pay $1.50 a song and voila!

That escapes the fact that you have to buy the dreaded medium, and plus the artist will probably get more. So do you support that?

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beejay

Check out the bottom of this link. It refers to part of Title 18 of the United States Code:

http://digitalenterprise.org/governance/us_code.html

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Pimps and Ho's - it's this generation's cowboys and indians

invizibull

I am proud that I have never contributed to the wealth of Gates and Co. They have accumulated their obscene fortunes without my help. All of you who feel moralistic or guilty feel free to carry on being pawns in the game that he invented. Personally I choose not to.

giblfiz

Right now my system is completely clean of pirated software, but thats pretty coincidental because I'm running debian Linux and I can only think of three pieces of software that are even sold for this market.

But back in my MacOS days I never had a qualm about grabbing all the software I could. I think the reason copyright violation (it is *not* stealing, illegal yes, theft no, not under our legal system or most moral systems) never bothered me was because it always felt a little too much like a thought crime. I'm doing it on my own time in my own home and not hurting anyone (and no, depriving a company of my dollars is not hurting them in an unreasonable way, they have no grantee that they will make money... after all its not "hurting them" if they get out competed, or at least its not viewed as immoral)

As far as programmers being entitled to make a living, a subject which is particularly relevant to my current degree, there are other business models than "product on a shelf" that make a lot more sense for software. And besides who said we (programmers) are *entitled* to anything anyway?

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Use the star one and you'll be fighting off the old ones with your bare hands
-A Shoggoth on the Roof

Konichiwaneko

A writer shouldn't be payed for their work? The book, like a cd, is the medium in which the authors ideas are transfered. Same thing with the programmers. I think they are entitiled to one thing...recogniction for their work. Either it be through money, fame, or acknowledgement.

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Dilbert1234567

when i pay $22 for a CD im pissed off, first it does not cost $22 for a Fregin CD, they charge $12 for the tape, which has like 15 moving parts, i dont see where the industry gets off charging so damn much for a CD that is why people Pirate, it cost to damn much

not to mention this CD has only 3 good songs on it, the rest is cRap

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Donate Blood!

"Love is not finding the perfect person, but learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." -Sam Keen

DrJekyll

The following article is copied without the author's permission (but I don't think he'd mind )...

---------------------------------

A Few Hard Truths...

Software Piracy Is A Good Thing (Seriously)

GOOD AS IN Mom, apple pie, and that quality which many Americans
consider the highest of all virtues - sales volume.

Take a minute to think about it. You've undoubtedly seen the figures
put out by industry mouthpieces like the Software Business Alliance,
which recently claimed that $2.4 billion was lost to software piracy
last year in the United States alone.

Frankly, this figure is pure hogwash, as about 10 seconds of study
reveals. First of all, SBA has no hard data on the amount of software
piracy taking place. Therefore it estimates piracy based on how many
software titles it believes an individual is likely to purchase in a
year, which is four.

Thus, if you only buy a couple software packages, you will be credited
in the SBA's calculations as having pirated a couple more - even if
you have never pirated anything in your life!

This sort of reasoning offers computer users a bizarre choice: either
buy as much software as the industry believes appropriate, or be
judged statistically guilty of piracy.

It also leads industry groups to make the preposterous claim that well
over one third of all software used in North America is pirated. Like
Jimmy Buffet in A Pirate Looks At 40, "I've done a bit of smugglin',"
but I don't know anyone who is using 35% to 59% pirated software, as
the SBA claims is the average for in the U.S. and Canada.

Then there's the matter of how much piracy subtracts from sales, if
anything. Industry groups like the SBA and the Software Publishers
Association assume that every piece of pirated software represents a
lost sale.

Fact is, the vast majority of pirated software does not represent lost
sales because most bootlegs are unneeded or useless. Without access to
a bootleg copy, most people would never spend 10 seconds with these
programs - let alone buy them.

And this brings us to a very important point that is entirely
overlooked by the software industry. Piracy sells software - perhaps
more than anything else. That is to say, instead of SUBTRACTING from
software sales, it actually INCREASES them.

Let me put this in personal terms. I am the registered owner of
thousands of dollars of Windows software (including CorelDraw, Adobe
PageMaker, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Intuit Quicken, Calera
WordScan, Claris FileMaker, Fauve Matisse, Aldus PhotoStyler, Delrina
WinFax Pro, Dvorak NavCis Pro), and I've rarely bought a program that
I didn't have as a bootleg first.

The thing that sells me on software is working with it. That's what
shows me if it's well designed, and meets a real need. If it's truly
useful, I will buy it, no matter what it costs. And if it is a turkey,
I want it out of here, no matter what it's supposedly worth.

I mean, seriously, how much hard disk space does the S.B.A think I
have? A gigabyte for myself, and then another couple gigabytes to load
up on pirated programs just for the illicit thrill of it?

I think not - nor am I unusual in this respect. If an average user has
a pirated copy of an app they use regularly enough for it to become an
important part of their work (or play), they will eventually need to
buy it - for a full manual, for tech support, for new features in the
upgraded version, or for simple shrinkwrap lust.

Although there may have been time when it was possible to get by with
only a set of bootleg disks and a cheat sheet, today's complex
programs (and what Windows program isn't complex?) make the manuals,
technical support, and bug fixes essential to getting the program to
work well.

But what about the morality of the thing, you ask? Isn't piracy simply
stealing? The industry's answer is yes, but again let's take a closer
look. The California penal code, for example, states a person is
guilty of theft if they "take, carry, lead or drive away the personal
property of another." That is, theft is fundamentally subtractive. A
victim of theft must have had something taken from them: a car, a
necklace, etc.

So what does software piracy take from the software manufacturer?
Because the disks are copied, not purloined, the software manufacturer
suffers no physical removal of property. The only thing that software
pubishers can claim to have lost is the opportunity for profit.

But since software piracy actually increases sales and profits, where
is the theft? The answer - there isn't any. Software piracy is a good
thing, and good for business too.

The solution? The industry's hired watchdogs should chill out, and
spend their time worrying about real problems, like making software
perform as advertised.

In fact, if the industry really wants to help sales, it should take
some of the money that goes into piracy propaganda, and hire more tech
support people. Heck, it might even bring back toll-free tech support!
Now there's a concept that would REALLY influence buying decisions.

--B.B.

Phaenx

I pirate to stick it to the man.

Actually I don't really pirate that much, maybe just a game every other month to see if it's worth buying. And windows xp pro, because MS forced passport on me.

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"I went shopping last night at like 1am. The place was empty and this old woman just making polite conversation said to me, 'where is everyone??' I replied, 'In bed, same place you and I should be!' Took me ten minutes to figure out why she gave me a dirty look." --Some guy

hobo

pretty much all I use, and therefore all I buy, are games. I buy them for the online gaming features and for the unique cd-keys that allow me to play freely.

amge

I only copy orginal disks. I don't make copies of copies. Because if there is the orginal disk, then at least one person bought the software.

Another thing I do is if I see that software that I copied really cheap (because it's an older version) I would buy it.

I definately wouldn't download MP3s if the music industry would follow the software industry with older products. I can't see myself spending 19.99 for a CD that is a few years old. Software companies on the other hand sell older version really cheap. If music companies did that then I wouldn't have to search the internet and down load 80's and 90's music.

LHFire

Buying software does not make it yours to do what you please with it. The "i bought it, it's mine... etc.. " mentallity doesnt fly with most software. When you buy software, you are buying the license to use that software. It is not yours to do with as you please. Read you license agreement (EULA) before you hit next or install. As for the people who say they pirate software because they cant afford it..this statement doesnt make sense. I cant afford a BMW M3 but i want one. I am not going to go steal one from bmw. I will work to get it. I know most college students are poor, and that software, music, movies are easily accessible but does downloading, copying without paying make it right?. If you dont want to pay for something dont buy it. If you are sick of the prices of things then boycott them If enough people stop purchasing overpriced goods then the companies would really start to sweat and maybe rethink their pricing structure.
As what was said before. Dont like to give M$ money for an OS or office suite, use a BSD, or a linux variant.

DrJekyll

LHF, stealing a BMW is a bad analogy for piracy.

Konichiwaneko

LHF post makes complete sense though.

I think there's two types off pirates here...

People who pirate to stick it too the man

and

People who pirate but if possible would pay for it.

I would rather be the second one, personally I feel if you don't like the company why even used their product at all. Just doesn't make sense.

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aeturnum

Personally I pirates things in three distinctive groups:

The first is music, mainly because a lot of the artists I listen to are obscure or foreign. I really don't mind paying for music, I’ve spent money on much more frivolous things, but I like the convenience of sitting at home and grabbing music. I also resent paying $45 for an import CD. If there was a group that had a wide selection of actual mp3 files for download at a reasonable per-song price, I would be all for it.

Second are programs that are way, way beyond my price range. These are programs like 3DS max, Maya, ms c++, etc.... I am not going to make any money off of these programs, if I ever can or do I would go out and purchase the products. I think most of these company's money comes from big corporate customers anyway.

Finally I get games that you can't buy anymore. Anyone here played Z? It's a damn good game, but if you don't have it, there's no chance that your gonna be able to get it legally. I don't usually download new games, though on occasion I’ve gotten semi-new releases, I don't have any at the moment.

To be honest I would really like to see the who kazaa thing turn into something much better. Because studio quality recording equipment is getting cheaper all the time artists will soon be able to cheaply record their own songs and then it would be great to have a service that would let them self-publish. I don't think that just because a company has a lot of money means that it is ok to steal from them. However, Microsoft is a monopoly that intentionally tries to drive their competitors outa business. So I think stealing from them is just peachy.