Do you "Steal" computer software?

[ridddder]

I just read in Wired Magazine, that since the era of the CD burner the music industry has been reeling. The next wave will come when DVD burners will go below $200 a pop next year. Although the pipeline to napster like movies on the internet isn't feasible yet, one day movies will be traded, and downloaded for free at the dismay of their corporate powers.

Here again I say, make movies especially ones which have been out a long time, and the pre & post production is paid for as well as the developmental costs for dvd interfaces. Make these movies so ridiculously cheap, that to the bootlegger it isn't worth his time to make fakes. To the consumer, that why would I want to buy a dvd burner when I can buy all these movies at this cheap price.

It is all about greed and we know it, I mean come on why do you have to still pay $15 for a cd that has been out for 10 years? Something like that would be pure profit, yet they cling to their archic business model because people are assumed idiots. In a way I see it as a revolt, a revolt they have no control of, and they could have prevented if it weren't for greed.

If the market dictates how the business of the future will be bought or sold, they know they have a revolt, and they are losing the battle. They still haven't learned anything, and will eventually lose because of greed. Tis sad really.

As the saying goes, live by the sword die by the sword.

 

[sterlingclay]

Ok guys, are you ready for something scary?

If you have an MP3 program and some MP3's on your computer, there's a 95% chance you also have a worm. The worm relays info back to the RIAA. Norton has not, and will likely not detect this worm for quite some time. It is a complex little bitch.

Don't believe me? Check the link.

Link to Security focus

But, there is hope. What these good guys are doing goes way against the USA act. They've tried to get themselves written into the act but it looks like the senate isn't having it. Follow this link for a follow up.

Wired mag

 

[crysede]

I'm having a hard time arguing or discussing anything with anyone who likes Red Green....I like Rd Greean almost as much as I like Mr Bean....they both rule!

Ya, I agree Ismael and Heretic seem to be in the industry, but I dont think they are in Marketing ,Finance, or Corporate.

I dunno....it's just very suspitious why they dont stop it when they can.

I'd have a hard time picking between Mr. Bean and Red Green, I love 'em both. Sorry to make this discussion harder for you (if it helps, I don't like the Three Stooges )

I still don't get why you are so certain that the industry could stop you so easily. I mean let's say I don't know much about microbiology or pharmacology, but I firmly believe that antibiotics cure colds. Then a doctor explains to me that colds are caused by viruses, and antibiotics don't have any effect on viruses, therefore an antibiotic is useless against a cold. Wouldn't you say that it would be rather irrational for me to continue to insist that antibiotics cure colds?

Well here you have someone that's a software designer (Heretic), who's worked in development (and I believe he said he'd been involved in marketing as well), who's worked on trying to find ways to solve the problem of copyright theft. He's telling you that the industry can't simply solve the problem, and he explained why. Your comments indicate that you don't "buy" that those problems exist, so either you think he's blatantly lying about his occupation and has no idea what he's talking about, or he's purposefully lying about the facts, or what he's telling you is the truth but you just don't accept it.

It seems pretty obvious from his knowledge about the industry and about programing that he is not lying about being a software engineer. The fact that he's not currently employed means that, even if you are correct about there being a software industry conspiracy, he has no reason to lie to you about the facts, he simply has nothing to gain. In fact, if you are correct, and the industry really does want you to steal, then even if he were currently employed it would be in his interest to either avoid this discussion, or argue in favour of stealing.

If you don't think he's lying, then you appear to essentially be saying, "I realize that, as a doctor, you understand how antibiotics and viruses work, and I realize that based on your medical knowledge you know that antibiotics cannot cure viruses, but I'm not buying it because I feel that they do."

 

[crysede]

See, this is what I am talking about. There is an Ulterior motive here and its called Marketing. And they are doing the Marketing for free by leaving that disc with Sterling, or allowing me to DL photoshop for free and sit here and yap about it to all my friends for days.

You're making totally unfounded assertions here. Yes, software company spokesmen will give 'deals' to the people who sell their product - but sales rep's have ALWAYS given out perks/bribes to retailers! Do you think that drug companies want you to steal their patents, since they give out loads of freebies to doctors?

Ergo: Free Marketing and priceless marketing and exposure at that...person to person. If one person that has perused this thread goes out and buys it, its worth the five free copies they gave me and the rest to "pay" for the marketing....

Okay, let's take a good hard look at this "priceless marketing" service that you see yourself as providing:

How many people have you encouraged to steal programs? I know you stated that you are teaching your kids about this, and encouraging them to steal programs - they might have grown up to be people who bought programs if you had taught them differently. You have certainly encouraged other people in the online community to steal programs. And look at what you're doing in this thread: you're telling everyone who might feel a twinge of guilt for stealing that not only should they not feel guilty - but that the industry owes them the stolen software!

So let's be realistic here - the only effect you could possibly be having, on anyone's desire to buy software, is to decrease it.

Thus, your entire argument comes down to the claim that, if someone felt so strongly about not stealing software that your recommendation to do so did not sway them, and if they were actually interesting in buying a graphic editor, then your recommendation of one editor over another would be enough to convince them to buy the one you suggested.

Do you honestly think that someone, who is clearly very independently minded, is going to shell out hundreds of bucks for an editor on your say so? I think that's incredibly unlikely: that sort of person isn't going to let anyone else's opinions determine their final judgement, they'll want to make up their own minds about which program they like the best.

Ergo - you are not a "priceless marketing investment," you're a financial blackhole.

and they didnt "Pay" a dime because none of us would have bought the program anyhow.

Oh come on - lots of people would buy the programs if they couldn't steal them, because loads of people want to use them. People are quite willing to spend vast amounts of money on stuff they don't need: I cite the entire multi-billion dollar entertainment/leisure industry as indisputable proof.

 

[Draco]

Just another little thought to throw into the mix.

You DONT actually BUY Software, you license its use for your computer.

You may have a Photoshop disc, but you dont OWN Photoshop. By buying that disc, you have bought a license to USE that software on your computer.

Read a EULA (End-User Licensing Agreement) sometime.
We've all seen them, with each and every program we have installed to our computers. It states categorically, you DO NOT own this software. You agree with a whole raft of terms and conditions as soon as you break the shrink-wrap...long before that CD gets anywhere near the drive.

Just my .05cents worth.