Does anyone here get pissed with people who pirate everything under the sun?

[Cougar]

Let me start this by saying that I am by no means perfect in this matter. I've got MP3's and a few programs here and there that I never paid for but I'm trying hard to change that. Like I mentioned yesterday I'm making a big push to get all my stuff legal so I'm in the process of buying Windows XP and Office for all my PCs at home. My best friend, however, refuses to buy anything and brags constantly about what new software he downloaded.

He's got almost every Microsoft operating system and version of office that's been released in the last 5 or 6 years but in his eyes that's ok because "It's Microsoft and they can afford it". The same thing goes with Adobe and pretty much any other company that has expensive software. He doesn't need the software and he barely uses it so he just downloads it because he can. He has the same attitude with movies and music. There are certain artists and movies he loves and instead of paying $10-$20 for a CD/DVD, he'll just hop on Kazaa and download it.

Like I said I'm by no means perfect when it comes to pirating stuff but it just drives me up the wall how much he pirates and how proud he is of all the stuff he's acquired.

Now by all means go ahead and flame me for being a goody two-shoes.

 

[SackOfAllTrades]

only if i can't get a piece

 

[apac]

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.

 

[Murphyrulez]

Your mother must be so proud.

 

[iwearnosox]

If he can afford it then he should buy it. I don't really have a problem with people that can't afford it doing it.

Probably a pretty wrong perspective, but you asked.

 

[amnesiac]

No flames necessary.

I won't say how much software I have or haven't paid for, but if I use it on a constant basis I will pay for it.

Music, however, is a different story.

I still think the RIAA can kiss my ass and I'll refuse to buy a CD until they stop being such behemothic jackholes.
I get most of my CDs free as promo discs, or I don't buy them at all. Haven't bought/downloaded music in over a year.

 

[pyonir]

I have a friend that does that with software. It bugs me too.

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

"extended trial period"?

*rest editted out for sake of keeping the mods happy*

 

[hjo3]

Oh, you're just jealous.

 

[gunblade]

I think most people start with using the pirated software while they are young and poor or while in college. But when people start growing up, they start to take responsibility and actually start to pay for the software.

I know it since I went thru the process.

I got most my MS software thru school or their launch event. But actually sometime I am so pissed at the activation of the win xp that I almost gonna try the pirated version without the need to go thru the phone with them.

And certainly I don't brag about how cool it is for using the pirated version.

 

[RaiderJ]

Unless your making money from the [pirated] products, simply using them probably helps the respective company more than it hurts them. Gets their name out and stuff.

No way in $@!* you're going to get me to use an OS that requires an "activation". That simple fact will keep me from buying Windows XP.

 

[TheNinja]

careful, you're all going to get a weeks vacation similar to the "dog destoryed a DVD from Netflix" thread. Some people in here are advocating piracy for shizzle

Professor, what's another word for Pirate's Treasure?

 

[atom]

I used to be that way back in the day. It's a phase that will pass. Now I'd say 95% of my software is legal. Probably also why my PC is woefully out of date (Win2k, Office 2k, Paint Shop Pro 6.0...)

 

[SherEPunjab]

your friend hardly uses it or never uses it so whats the moral dilemna? imagine it as if he is a 'trial period' user. if he only uses it say, 100 times in totality, any trial user could have done at least that in 30 days.

i can see a bigger issue being for those that use the software repeatedly, esp. to create profits. If i'm a business owner, and I use a software as a tool to organize, or increase my business, i should definitely pay for it. try justifying 600 bucks or whatever for Photoshop for me to do digital artwork (as a hobby), and it just won't fly. For business, yes.


my .02

 

[TheNinja]

If you don't want to drop the money to use the program, then don't use the program and just admit that you are pirating it. But don't try to justify not paying for it by making up some lame "well I only use it a couple of times, it's kind of like a trial period" or "it's too expensive and I don't have the money, plus I only use it for fun". You aren't fooling people, it's still pirating.

I only use my dirtbike once or twice a year maybe I should steal that too b/c it's just a hobby and I rarely use it after all. Sorry for going off I just can't stand when people try to justify it somehow.

 

[Maleficus]

I pirate everything under the sun, I buy the things i like

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

Originally posted by: Staley8
I only use my dirtbike once or twice a year maybe I should steal that too b/c it's just a hobby and I rarely use it after all. Sorry for going off I just can't stand when people try to justify it somehow.

But everyone one of those is a tangible product that has physical substance.

This would probably erupt into a big flame about software piracy doesn't hurt the developer because data is (relatively) free to spread, so I won't mention that fact

 

[thrashev]

whether you like it or not there is nothing you can do to help it, piracy is bigger than you could imagine

 

[DeRusto]

well, i see nothing wrong with him having copies of software in his possession that, not only does he never use, but likely would never buy anyway..the only person this could possibly harm is himself if/when the FBI busts down his door and finds all that stuff

Honestly..he doesn't use it..so he wouldn't buy it. If he wouldn't buy it, who cares that he has it?

his own argument that "It's Microsoft, they can afford it" doesn't even apply if he just pirates for the sake of pirating. Microsoft doesn't lose money from someone making a copy of their software. They would lose money because someone used the pirated copy of the software to avoid buying a copy. Again, I'm just assuming he would never purchase a copy of every version of Winows just to own it, he is not pirating to use the software for free, so Microsoft has lost no money because of his actions.


Edit: pushed submit too soon

 

[fs5]

did somebody say pirates?

HARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

 

[QueHuong]

Originally posted by: Cougar
Let me start this by saying that I am by no means perfect in this matter. I've got MP3's and a few programs here and there that I never paid for but I'm trying hard to change that....
Like I said I'm by no means perfect when it comes to pirating stuff but it just drives me up the wall how much he pirates and how proud he is of all the stuff he's acquired.

Now by all means go ahead and flame me for being a goody two-shoes.

No you're not being a goody two shoes. If you pirate yourself, which you do, then you have no room to get all pissy if someone else pirates. "Well, I only have $2000 worth of retail softwares, but he he's more wrong because he has $5000 worth" is BS. Shut up.

 

[Cougar]

Originally posted by: Murphyrulez
Your mother must be so proud.

Well, I didn't start this thread to make myself look better and that's why I started off by saying I'm guilty too. The thing that gets me though is that he can afford to buy the software/music/movies/etc... but he just chooses not to because, as he says, "Why pay for it when you can get it for free?".

Two of his favorite programs, which he uses every day, are Windows XP and now Office 2003. I understand that Office 2003 is expensive but that still doesn't justify stealing it in my mind. It's not that I'm jealous either because he's given me alot of the software he's downloaded but I haven't installed it. It just bothers me to have a pirated program installed that I use on a day to day basis. Both of us can afford the software we use but he just refuses to buy anything.

I realize I'm far from perfect in this issue and I don't really know why it bugs me so much but it just does.

 

[Bootprint]

Originally posted by: MindStorm

Originally posted by: Cougar
Let me start this by saying that I am by no means perfect in this matter. I've got MP3's and a few programs here and there that I never paid for but I'm trying hard to change that....
Like I said I'm by no means perfect when it comes to pirating stuff but it just drives me up the wall how much he pirates and how proud he is of all the stuff he's acquired.

Now by all means go ahead and flame me for being a goody two-shoes.

No you're not being a goody two shoes. If you pirate yourself, which you do, then you have no room to get all pissy if someone else pirates. "Well, I only have $2000 worth of retail softwares, but he he's more wrong because he has $5000 worth" is BS. Shut up.

Problem is how do you decided the price of software. You've got the Full retail price, that magical OEM price, Student price and then the large volume licenses.

 

[Cougar]

Originally posted by: MindStorm
No you're not being a goody two shoes. If you pirate yourself, which you do, then you have no room to get all pissy if someone else pirates. "Well, I only have $2000 worth of retail softwares, but he he's more wrong because he has $5000 worth" is BS. Shut up.

Well, it's never been about how much our downloaded booty is worth. What gets me is that he's proud of it. I'm trying to get all of my stuff legit, and even if I ever get to that point one day I won't feel like I'm a better man than him. The apps he uses every day he can afford to buy, and he can afford his favorite music and movies as well so it just doesn't make sense why he wouldn't at least buy that stuff.

 

[DT4K]

Originally posted by: RaiderJ
Unless your making money from the [pirated] products, simply using them probably helps the respective company more than it hurts them. Gets their name out and stuff.

No way in $@!* you're going to get me to use an OS that requires an "activation". That simple fact will keep me from buying Windows XP.

That's the biggest load of crap ever.

Just goes to show you how many people would be perfectly willing to steal from a retail store if they didn't have a fear of getting caught.