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Thoughts on "Piracy".

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KynloStephen66515:
Hey guys,

For a long time, I have been wondering what you guys think on the subject of piracy.

Personally I DO pirate Movies, Games, Software etc...but I have a logical reason behind it, and I will explain this now:

Quite simply, I do not have the money to splash out on Software I may not fully utilize, Games I might not enjoy or Movies that might suck so badly the DVD is worth nothing more than to play Frisbee with.  Coupled with this, and the fact that most "Demos" or "Trials" are...well...useless and usually  constrained in terms of features...how can one really judge if something is worth spending money on?

This is where piracy comes into play for me...I can simply download the full versions of whatever...and then decide if it is worth me paying out for...I wouldn't have bought nearly 3/4 of the games on my Steam if I didn't pirate them first...I wouldn't own the movies I own if I had not have pirated them and watched them first...and I certainly wouldn't own most of the (Payware) software I own if I had not tried the full versions via piracy first.

I do understand that my situation and reasoning for piracy may be different to most...but for me...those developers would never have got a penny from me, had I not been able to pirate their stuff first...so...they have GAINED by me "Breaking the law".

So...My question on this is, what do you guys think...I know a lot of you hate piracy, but a lot of you will also (whether publicly, or secretly) download things...so it would be nice to hear your thoughts!

Stoic Joker:
I have always gone by my own definition of what is to be construed as 'Fair and Reasonable'. If I'm going to be deciding on the purchase of an application that is hundreds or thousands of dollars...then my 'Trial Period' will be just as long as it takes for me to be comfortable with said applications fitness to preform said task.

I've been hustled through demos by ISV reps far too many times to fall for the slick sales tactic of saying "Oh Sure It'll Do That"...only to find out later that the list of caveats - oddly enough - is a mile long.

So yes, there is - quite literally - a pirate flag hung proudly above my desk ... Because before I parts with any of me Spanish gold I'll be damn sure Ye's not foolin' me. Or the plank it will be with yer carcass for sure..

MilesAhead:
One thing to keep in mind with music and movies downloaded, the stuff is released on the sly by the marketing apparatus of the content makers.  I know when I was buying Jazz CDs I was very skeptical of tjiis new fangled MP3 stuff and buying music or movies as files only.

I think most people were.  So they needed a way to get people to try the stuff and become accustomed to the packaging(as in none other than the file container format.)  The answer, let people "steal" it.  But since copyright requires you use due diligence to protect said copyright or lose it, another arm of the content providers has to constantly complain about the fact that so much content is stolen.

After the file only content and streaming mediums became excepted as shown by the willingness of people to pay, then those complaining crack down(or stop posting) on free content.

As soon as it became obvious that the content providers were going to go after those getting "free samples" I gave a wide bearth to the whole business.

( Beside I don't have a living room with HDTV to watch the stuff anymore anyway.  Watching movies on a Laptop screen just doesn't appeal somehow.)

Short version, now that they have us buying the stuff they are going to make sure we pay for it.

I rarely buy software since just about anything I need there's a free software that does it.

Renegade:
I don't use any pirated software at all. My primary reason is that it's too risky. Writing malware is just too easy to do.

So...My question on this is, what do you guys think...-Stephen66515 (November 23, 2014, 10:23 AM)
--- End quote ---

I have nothing against piracy. I think more piracy would do the world a lot more good. Particularly in the world of patents.

I'm still fence sitting a bit, but my current overall leaning is that IP should simply be done away with entirely. It causes far too many problems and simply isn't worth it.

But, my leanings there are stronger against patents than against copyright, and in particular against any patent related to life, e.g. seeds, medicine, genes, etc. The harm caused by the patent system is immeasurable.

I think my biggest problem is that I'm having a hard time coming up with a universal principle (or accepting a universal principle), which is keeping me on the fence. For example, it's inconsistent to be against patents for life and not against software patents, etc., and it's inconsistent to be against patents, but not copyright.

So, I don't pretend to be consistent, but I do know where my leanings are at least.

Copying is natural. Even parrots do it. :P

40hz:
I don't know where the notion of 'piracy' leaves off and 'entitlement' begins.

I decided it was better for my inner self if I just didn't go there.


* If I want something, or use something, I'll buy it.  Always.
* I'll always prefer to sample or trial some things first. But if that's not possible, the burden of my satisfaction rests entirely on the shoulders of the seller.
* If I don't like it - or feel it was misrepresented by the seller - I'll return it and ask for my money back.
* If I can't have a refund, the person I paid is welcome to what they got. It's the last they'll ever get from me - and I'll  bad mouth them to everyone I know plus anybody else who will listen.
* Conversely, if I do like what I get (and the way I was treated) I'll freely recommend them and their product(s) whenever asked, or when it's otherwise appropriate.
I make it a point to always act in good faith. And I make a far better friend and admirer than I do an adversary.

I think the same can be said of most of us here at DoCo.

Wise businesses know that.

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