Poll: Can piracy be good?

[Azulito]

I know this is a fairly touchy subject for some of you but please keep an open mind and actually consider the question.

Can piracy be good? -- I am not talking about game or movie piracy, more software piracy.

Thanks to software piracy, those who've had dreams of excelling in certain career paths have gained a tremendous amount of experience. Those who have had dreams of becoming a digital artist have been able to access programs such as Photoshop to improve their skills in digital art. 3D modellers have had access to programs such as Z-Brush, Animators with Flash and so on.
Others have used different programs and then realized that their dream career may not be what they thought it was without a huge impact on their wallet.

Although the argument can be put forward that there are free alternatives; some are not used in companies, are poorly made and lack needed features.

TL;DR: Can software piracy, when used for self-improvement, be a good thing? Or is piracy never acceptable?

Also, I wish to clarify that this is only when the software cannot be legally bought.

I do not condone piracy nor am I saying it's a good thing.

 

[Total LOLige]

It can be good if used as a temporary measure until you have the money to pay for it.

 

[Zac Smith]

It can be good if used as a temporary measure until you have the money to pay for it.

I voted no, but the quoted pretty much sums up my opinions as well. If you are going to pirate and can become financially successful for that, you should actually pay, that's how the world works. You can just take stuff

 

[Jordi]

I voted yes, because of what the OP explains. What I mean is that it can have good aspects, in addition to the bad. A lot of crimes have potential positive sides. Killing a serial killer may save lives. Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor will give the poor more opportunities. But stealing and killing are still crimes. I think the same goes for piracy.

 

[The Rockerfly]

I voted I don't care because there are many arguments on both side and neither are truly right or wrong. The argument has been done to death and then some plus I'm not an artist and I am well aware that most artists get paid more than enough to not worry about a few missed sales

 

[standokan]

It can be good but probably will never be.

 

[Kahunaburger]

It is if you're a kid in China trying to bypass censorship. If you're in America trying not to pay for something you can get legally, probably not.