The last honest consumer?

[Cryo84R]

Every day at work, I get to hear about someone having a pirated version of what ever game or downloading a torrent for some such movie/TV show. I feel as if I'm the only one left on the planet that actually pays for content I consume.

Maybe it's just the way I was raised, but I always feel that if I get something for nothing without it being offered, that I was being dishonest.

Has society become so permissive as to simply EXPECT people to take things they did not pay for, simply because there is no consequence?

 

[SimuLord]

It's not just you. Everything I have, I bought legitimately. And I tend to take the view that if you want something enough to steal it, don't get pissed off if the owner comes after you.

Starting to wonder if perhaps legalizing frontier justice might be our only recourse against this sort of barbarism.

 

[Geekosaurus]

There was a massive argument on here a few months ago about piracy of video games, music and films; I should know, I was in the middle of it. It seems a lot of people assume that pirating content in order to sample it is fine, with the intention of then going on to buy it. There's also a pretty fine line between piracy and copyright law and how these both compare to theft. Personally, I think it's wrong and cannot be justified - it's nice to know that my opinion is backed up by the law. However I'm sure some people will want to argue this with whatever reason they think justifies piracy. It's weird, I thought members of a gaming forum would have more respect for the industry they love and have the decency to pay for things.

(If you're a member here that does actually pay for all types of media then I apologise for making it sound like you're all dirty thieves.)

 

[tomtom94]

I think it's human nature to enjoy a free lunch.

Personally I guess this makes me inhuman.

 

[spartan1077]

"If it ain't free, it ain't worth it."

 

[Jedamethis]

I buy as much as I can legitimately. Though I have downloaded old games which I couldn't find...

 

[zehydra]

I buy as much as I can legitimately. Though I have downloaded old games which I couldn't find...

I'm pretty much the same way. The only games I technically download illegally are old NES roms, lol.

 

[Deathsong17]

I pay for my goods. I could never pirate anything off the internet, due to the crippling fear of viruses.

 

[Tartarga]

Everything I own was payed for with money. My friends are pretty avid pirates though and I don't blame them for it. We're all pretty short on cash year round. Honestly, the only reason I don't pirate stuff is because I have no idea how its done.

 

[El Poncho]

I haven't bought anything pirated, although I think my parents have borrowed some pirated dvd's off of their friends.

 

[Cheesus333]

Maybe it's just the way I was raised, but I always feel that if I get something for nothing without it being offered, that I was being dishonest.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I don't pirate, and I don't approve when other people do.
I don't stop them, but I still don't agree with it.

Incidentally, the title of this thread would either make a really shit action film or a really good dystopian-future-sci-fi one.

 

[Ham_authority95]

It feels more satisfying to me to use my hard-earned money to buy something that will bring me joy.

The only thing I think I've ever "pirated" was downloading some songs off a friends CD collection.

So yeah, you're not alone.

 

[L4hlborg]

I think that everything that I own is somewhat legitimate. With a few slightly questionable ones maybe:

2 CDs I got as a present from my friend. They seem a bit shady. Though I do own most of the songs on separate albums anyway.

A dvd from Hungary. Looks a bit pirated.

I've borrowed a few cds from my neighbour and I have borrowed him a few of mine. This might be a bit illegal, but I have bought just about everything good I have borrowed and deleted everything shit.

 

[TriggerUnhappy]

Personally, I do my best to purchase everything legitimately. Well, except music of course. Once I'm older and have a job though, I plan on actually purchasing my music. Kinda hard to amass thousands of dollars for my music when I'm a teenager. (not making an excuse for my behavior, just explaining it)

 

[XJ-0461]

Same here. I've payed for pretty much everything I've got, bar one or two songs that a friend has sent me. As someone who wants to get into the film industry when I'm older, it'd just feel wrong to watch a film online rather than at the cinema or on a legitimate DVD. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer to give money to those who deserve it.

 

[Dumori]

I don't buy pirated. I can do the same for free. I tend to only pirate OLD stuff, stuff I can't get and stuff I will 100% get. Or in rarer cases somthign with no demos or decend media as a I honestly have noidea if this game is worth any thing. I tend to buy 80% of games I do that with as if i play more than 2-3h I feel its wroth paying the makers for it.

Your not the last honest consumer but honest consuming is kindo gray area. It's legal to own a ROM ect of anything you own physical some place. I have pirated games I've lost in my unorganised games stash as well.

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

I've only gotten a couple of free songs. And these were ones that were free anyway or that I couldn't find. The rest I spent my money on. I don't necessarily know where I stand when it comes to pirating stuff. I've done it and I don't feel that bad about it, but I do realize that it can hurt the creator financially, especially if nobody bought their stuff. I like to think that by buying an artist's creations I'm helping them to create more good stuff later on down the line.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I'm happy to part with money for the media I own...but I might just be a sucker.

Strong opinions on this subject annoy me, people insist that they have claims to "moral truth" on the matter...they don't. People can't even agree under what circumstances murder is justifiable(that's about all you need to know about morality as an absolute), why should I believe that there is a correct opinion on frickin' copyright infringement?...

 

[BonsaiK]

I like to buy things because I'm an aesthetic fetishist. I like to have the "package", and having that package actually adds to the appeal of whatever it is that I bought.

 

[aLivingPheonix]

I definitely try and buy things retail, as opposed to piracy.

Sometimes, though, I like to pirate, just to sample said item, IE, I pirated Spore, just to see what it's like, and if it's worth getting it, then deleted it of my hard-drive.

Or, if I can't find something retail, (Sega genesis, with Sonic 1, 2, and 3), then I'll possibly pirate it. Or get an emulator.

Or, if I already own the item, but can't find it (like with an album, or something), then I'll pirate it.