I have yet to meet anyone in person who actually likes it

[lehnerus2000]

Infinite Supply

Pirating software I do not do but any body doing so is bringing down the price of software not the other way around. A soft ware company charges what the market will bear when pirating does happen in large volumes the software company drops the price to generate cash flow if he hikes the price, more pirating will happen and cash flow drops. Sadly no mater the price some pirating for music and movies media is a fact of life. With digital goods the law of supply and demand does not work, only the demand side works.

Ok. I don't quite get it, but I'll take yours and other's word for it. It's just that it doesn't follow business principles is all. I'll surely be pondering this one.

If someone goes into a store (that sells software) and physically removes all of the stock, the store cannot sell that stock to anyone.

If someone goes into a store (that sells software) and copies all of the stock, the store can still sell that stock to anyone (except presumably the criminal).

OK ... so if the piracy is LESS of a crime then it's not a crime, eh?

Your words not mine.

Note:
BTW, I am NOT advocating corruption and/or criminal behaviour.

Obviously it is a lesser crime (it's still a crime).
If you:

• Steal a loaf of bread ($2) you might go to prison.
• Stage an armed bank robbery, you'll definitely go to prison.

You seem to be saying that since both crimes are thefts, both criminals should receive life in jail.
I hope that you like paying taxes.

Sorry ... as far as I'm concerned, theft is theft. The development of "cloning" technology does not diminish the fact that you are taking something that does not belong to you​.

Cloning DOES NOT prevent the original owner from using it.

Note:
BTW, I am NOT advocating Piracy.

​

 

[R0bR]

And yet many of these large companies (Microsoft, AutoCAD, EA etc.) have become what they are thanks to piracy. AutoCAD was the new boy while Intergraph dominated, AutoCAD software started showing up on BBS's which was apparently leaked by the company. Do you really think every one bought a copy of DOS and later Windows that gave MS such an enormous market share? Unlike today where you have the luxury of reading reviews or downloading trials, back in the day you had no option which also led to piracy. College was expensive enough, I couldn't afford AutoCAD but I had a copy.

 

[labeeman]

And yet many of these large companies (Microsoft, AutoCAD, EA etc.) have become what they are thanks to piracy. AutoCAD was the new boy while Intergraph dominated, AutoCAD software started showing up on BBS's which was apparently leaked by the company. Do you really think every one bought a copy of DOS and later Windows that gave MS such an enormous market share? Unlike today where you have the luxury of reading reviews or downloading trials, back in the day you had no option which also led to piracy. College was expensive enough, I couldn't afford AutoCAD but I had a copy.

In October Autodesk was giving 3 year licenses for AutoCad for free with a serial # and online activation.

 

[Coke Robot]

Holy crap, this thread went VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM off course!!



I'll add to it!

The way I see it, piracy literally cannot be stopped. Megaupload is an example of that, The Pirate Bay is another, and on and on. You can slow it, but can't stop it.

Whether it's good or bad, that's debatable. I once heard of this artist back in the '80s that promoted his content by handing out cassette tapes of his music to people to gain attention and he later become uber successful. Don't remember who it was though....

That's the flip side of piracy: promotion.

Someone downloads an artist's latest album, loves it, tells friends about it. Those friends may or may not pirate it or download it off itunes or amazon or Xbox Music. But that artist just got new listeners. The same goes for movies. Someone pirates it, loves it, recommends it to their friends where they may or may not pirate it, rent it, or buy it.

Then there is the other side of piracy: education.

Someone pirates Windows or Office or AutoCAD or Photoshop because it is simply too expensive to purchase. They either become successful in a career in IT technology, a writer for GQ, an architect or engineer, or a digital graphics designer. They wouldn't had gotten where they were without piracy. They wouldn't had been able to develop those skills without piracy. There was an article on Neowin where the author lived in Eastern Europe and couldn't purchase Windows xp at the time because there were trade issues in that country and the cost of the software was literally almost the price of a new PC which was already expensive. So he had no other alternative but to pirate Windows xp. He and his brother both have successful careers in the IT field.

And there's the other side of piracy: the content is bloody expensive.

AutoCAD is about a solid 4,000 dollars for a new license. It's also bloody expensive to upgrade too, seriously, I could buy me that 2000 BMW 528i with that. That's why software piracy is there because partly, you'd turn into Darth Vader after spending an arm, a leg, and a hand for it. Windows 8 however, only costs 40 dollars to upgrade. That's a low asking price for something that would had cost 200 dollars or something that you spent 200 on previously. That I bet thwarted a lot of piracy of it, but I imagine it'll swell up after the 31st when the offer subsides or if Microsoft decides to continue that.

Then there is the oddness of anti-piracy laws...

Last I've check, there isn't anything in the anti-piracy laws that say if you download, DOWNLOAD, not upload copyrighted material, that isn't illegal. The illegal part becomes where you upload, which is how P2P networks operate. Uploading is the illegal distribution aspect, which makes it illegal. Not downloading. I could be wrong though.

 

[labeeman]

0.3


Last I've check, there isn't anything in the anti-piracy laws that say if you download, DOWNLOAD, not upload copyrighted material, that isn't illegal. The illegal part becomes where you upload, which is how P2P networks operate. Uploading is the illegal distribution aspect, which makes it illegal. Not downloading. I could be wrong though.

That becomes a civil suit for downloading. Remember when they tried to sue all the people for DL Hurt Locker but had trouble getting names tied to the IP addresses.

 

[GirlieBiker]

I read a lot of quite balanced reviews before I decided to set my new laptop up with a dual boot, and even though I am still having some issues I think I quite like Win 8 and I haven't really had a major issue with having no start button (although I always used to start programs by hitting the start key and typing). I spend more time in the desktop view for the moment though. I haven't had chance to enjoy the tiles yet.

 

[Sankaracharya]

I really, truly love W8.
I'll never want to go back to any other OS.

 

[mbratch]

Last I've check, there isn't anything in the anti-piracy laws that say if you download, DOWNLOAD, not upload copyrighted material, that isn't illegal. The illegal part becomes where you upload, which is how P2P networks operate. Uploading is the illegal distribution aspect, which makes it illegal. Not downloading. I could be wrong though.

FAQs

 

[Dragon Drop]

This is just my opinion: It's not just a question of copyright. True, only giving or selling something to others is a copyright violation; merely receiving it, and using it, is not. But if a firm is selling their copyrighted product for $50 and you get a free copy, they're not getting their $50 for that copy. It isn't a copyright violation, but it's stealing. Not stealing the product, but stealing the $50 that they didn't get. You can always say "they have plenty of money and they don't need my $50" or whatever, but that's just the "Robin Hood" argument -- take from the rich, give to the poor. I'm not a moralist -- but I'm not a socialist either.