In your view...is it alright to steal software?

[Half Evil]

Well, I see it like this..

If they cant create a good enough protection, then its no big deal.

I mean there is a way to stop it, they just need to brainstorm.

Also... They make millions, we make jack. I mean id never steal a raw materal. Say a candy bar from the store, but with software they reproduce it as long as they want to make money off it. Sure time went into making it, but they can reproduce hundreds of thousands of copys with just a few clicks, as where with the candy bar, it was physically made, that took time, every single one did.

I dont know if you see how I see it, but yeah..

 

[jon2231]

I do it.

I feel very bad about it, sometimes I cry myself to sleep. I mean we are taking away from the artists! What if they had to go with a 750,000 dollar house instead of a 1,000,000 dollar house! How bad are we people! You should feel ashamed of yourself!

Heh, jk.

But yeah, just think of it as their way of giving back to the community.

 

[mammikoura]

Well it depends.
Most of the time I think it's alright, because most of the stuff I download is something I wouldn't pay for. So they (the companies, artists etc) won't lose anything since I wouldn't be getting their stuff if I couldn't get it for free.

And well downloading is just so much easier. Like I had a free ticket to the movies, yet it took me like ½ year before I used it because it's just easier to download a movie to ur computer and then watch it at home.

But I usually buy something if I think that they deserve the money.

If they cant create a good enough protection, then its no big deal.

I mean there is a way to stop it, they just need to brainstorm.

I disagree. As long as there is a code (and of course every software has one) it can be cracked. Like take the protection software in games for example.
-1st they created a protection that doesn't allow the game to run if the cd is not inserted.
-Then comes some dude and makes a crack so the game doesn't need the cd.
-Then the companies improve the protection.
-And like a week later everyone is using virtual drives which can fool the protection.
-And then comes the infamous StarForce protection software which recognizes virtual drives and prevents them from working.
-This took a while, but then comes another dude and creates small program that prevents StarForce from seeing the virtual drive, and once again we can play our games just fine.

There just isn't a way, people will always find ways past the protection software.

 

[Half Evil]

Okay, thats true. It can always be cracked. But let me rephrase. They can make it really really really hard, lol

 

[MikeReiner]

I'm indifferent.

I know it's "wrong" but that's not going to stop me.

Likewise.

Well, I see it like this..

If they cant create a good enough protection, then its no big deal.

I mean there is a way to stop it, they just need to brainstorm.

..

Okay, thats true. It can always be cracked. But let me rephrase. They can make it really really really hard, lol

Now you have the right idea.

 

[Nik00117]

Yea thats what I told my old Computer Sciences teacher, and this is what he told me "Yes, thats true, but than people who buy software, have to pay 10 times the price, because out of 10 people who own the software, only 1 bought it. This is why Microsoft Office is so expensive.

False, Microsoft isn't all that priated. I mean it simply not. They jsut greedy.

A anti-priate activist was going on and on too me about how wrong it is and its just like stealing. And then he finally goes do you understand, I go yes, he goes good then you'll stop? I go, let me ask you a question, do i care?

 

[~NeonFire372~]

Yeah, I saw the commericial which appears on every new movie around here when its placed in your computer to watch. Yes, I said watch. Nero Showtime [media player] lets it appear too.

It goes like, you wouldn't steal a handbag, you wouldn't steal a tv, you wouldn't steal a dvd, you wouldn't do this and that etc. etc. etc. and then it says Downloading Pirated Films is illegal.

I mean, yes, its alright for them to place it there, but on a rented DVD that isn't pirated in the first place? Maybe they are just trying to get the message out.

I have no need for cracks or anything anyway because the majority of the products on my computer are freeware.

 

[Nik00117]

Its damn hard for me to feel guilty knowing I jsut took 12.99 away from a man who makes a 100,000 a month on interset.

 

[King of Kings1]

Its damn hard for me to feel guilty knowing I jsut took 12.99 away from a man who makes a 100,000 a month on interset.

haha that is so true I cant believe it

 

[root]

the trouble is that you're not taking it away from the big earners anyway!

if you steal a copy of windows you are stealing from the developers, not the corperations!
having worked in a software house I can tell you that developers are typically paid £17,000 - £30,000
I.E from ~£50 - ~£100 per day,
I envisage that because it's such a large project that there may have been some 50 developers (or perhaps more) working on windows XP.
i.e just for the developers to keep their job, (before you take into account the team leaders project managers, middle managers directors and share holders.
Microsoft need to sell 50 copies of windows XP per day (@£100), just for developers, then after that they need to sell even more copies just so that they can have managers and middle mangers, share holders, perople to develop new ideas, and employ people to clean offices...

someone said that an estimate of only one in ten legimate 'customers' is a little off... how many people do you know that have 100% bought all of the software that is on their PC... I can only think of 1 that I know and that's my grand parents, and that is only because they havn't put any other software onto the machine since they bought it!