Why I don't like piracy: a software developer's thoughts.

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

Please spare me for I have not read all 6 pages of the thread.


...but...didn't the people you let play the game, upload it onto file sharing sites?

d'oh!

 

[Sayvara]

*Looks around the devastated landscape and the remaining survivors*

Shall we sum this up then? Do we have consensus that:

- Property rights are to be respected. If you don't, you're doing something bad?
- Consumer rights are to be respected. If you don't, you're doing something bad?
- Producers need to make people want to purchase their products rather than trying to bully people into not pirating them?
- The amount of pirating taking place needs to be reduced since that makes the producers take drastic and sometimes damaging measures?
- A consumer that takes measures to enforce his/her rights and fair use of a purchased product shall not be held accountable for that?

Anyone opposed?

/S

 

[Sayvara]

So you're saying that a "significant moral point" only enters into the picture when there's a direct exchange of money involved for a product or service? According to that logic, if I opened a pool and let people swim free but asked them not to dump sewage in the pool, it wouldn't be immoral for people to use that access I gave them to the pool not just to swim but to dump sewage.

Yes, I said there's no significant moral point. Around what concept of right or wrong are we to make a moral judgement on here?

Also, why are you saying that movies "aren't broadcast same as TV" just because they "control access via ticket sales"? Don't cable companies control access to broadcasts via subscription sales in a comparable way to movies controlling access to movies? Don't cable companies often broadcast movies that were in theaters with commercials added in?

I think the issue is that you still think I'm talking about the morality of ad skipping. I'm not--what I'm talking about is the morality of the necessary step of *copying* a broadcast to make ad skipping possible.

Yes, cable companies control access to content through subscription sales. They also are not the ones making that content. If ad-skipping isn't the issue, and copying is, then the cable or satellite provider giving you a tool to copy what they broadcast signifies what exactly on this moral scale? Again, where's the right or wrong we're supposed to take a moral compass reading on?

So you consider jaywalking immoral?

I suppose I should have specified "on the issue of piracy", lest it be interpreted as a blanket statement like it was.

 

[rattling_bean]

Yes, actually it is human nature. That's how all animals survive - and how we survived when we crawled around on all fours. It IS in our nature and unfortunately there's nothing we can do about it.

 

[Dommyboy]

It wont stop. It wont end. Oh god, someone else is posting another opinion that's already been stated several times. Get out of the way! Now! Run! Ruuuuun!

 

[WlknCntrdiction]

I'll "pirate" whatever I can. If Photoshop CS3 is going to cost me £600 to buy lol then fuck that. I "pirate" movies(when I have the time and can be assed), programs, books, music(mostly music), I don't pirate games for the simple fact that I don't have the know how to open up my xbox and make it play them, and when I build my computer I'm going to buy the PC games, they're cheaper plus I won't have to waste time finding loopholes to play it cause it's a cracked version or something.

I'll buy movies I've seen that I like(my next purchase will be Iron Man, last purchase was Transformers, ages ago)because then I'll have the pleasure of seeing them in HD with surround sound, a pirate copy just can't compare, that, and the fact that I wouldn't be able to wait for a DVDRip of it lol.

Music is fair game, especially at the rate most bands are churning out rubbish or albums that aren't to my liking(boy was I glad I didn't buy "Minutes to Midnight")I wouldn't spend money on them, most of the time anyway I end up not liking the music it gets deleted, saves space on my harddrive

When I become a 3D Animator too I'm not really going to be fussed if someone pirates my models or the game that they're used in, as long as I get my paycheck at the end of the week/month/year I'm happy, god help you if I don't get my paycheck though lol.
I'm not too bothered tbh, it's not a problem that will go away over night, and it's not one that can be outright stopped either so I'm going to enjoy it for the time being while I don't have any money. Will I stop pirating once I have money coming in? Don't count on it, but I may consider it.

 

[Sayvara]

I'll "pirate" whatever I can. If Photoshop CS3 is going to cost me £600 to buy lol then fuck that. I "pirate" movies(when I have the time and can be assed), programs, books, music(mostly music), I don't pirate games for the simple fact that I don't have the know how to open up my xbox and make it play them, and when I build my computer I'm going to buy the PC games, they're cheaper plus I won't have to waste time finding loopholes to play it cause it's a cracked version or something.

I'll buy movies I've seen that I like(my next purchase will be Iron Man, last purchase was Transformers, ages ago)because then I'll have the pleasure of seeing them in HD with surround sound, a pirate copy just can't compare, that, and the fact that I wouldn't be able to wait for a DVDRip of it lol.

Music is fair game, especially at the rate most bands are churning out rubbish or albums that aren't to my liking(boy was I glad I didn't buy "Minutes to Midnight")I wouldn't spend money on them, most of the time anyway I end up not liking the music it gets deleted, saves space on my harddrive

When I become a 3D Animator too I'm not really going to be fussed if someone pirates my models or the game that they're used in, as long as I get my paycheck at the end of the week/month/year I'm happy, god help you if I don't get my paycheck though lol.
I'm not too bothered tbh, it's not a problem that will go away over night, and it's not one that can be outright stopped either so I'm going to enjoy it for the time being while I don't have any money. Will I stop pirating once I have money coming in? Don't count on it, but I may consider it.

So what you are admitting here is that you don't care at all about other people's rights of ownership and will use their stuff without asking permission whenever you see fit, and if this unauthorized usage of other people's stuff was worth something for you, then you may concider reimbursing the owner for this?

Is that what you are saying?

/S

 

[SunoffaBeach]

pirates always have more sex-appeal than commoners. chicks love pirates!

im against ownership in general. everything should be free to everyone.
so if you ask money for your product or service, i go pirate. simple as that.

VIVA LA REVOLUCION!

 

[runtheplacered]

Is that what you are saying?

What if it is?

Anyway, what is the point of your ranting? You didn't bring anything new to the table to discuss, and have absolutely no understanding (apparently) of what the words "pirating" and "stealing" means.

I sat here and read your opening post and I can wrap up your entire point in one small sentence, "I don't like pirating! *stomps foot and pulls hair like a 4 year old*"

You brought nothing new to the discussion and came off as completely closed minded. If the pirates are the opposite of you, then sign me up to be a pirate, I guess.

And lastly, because I can't help myself,

"So that's why I dislike software pirates... because they don't have the manners or good graces to actually respect other people's property. "

Right. It's their manners you don't like. I'll bet.

That's how you concluded your rant. Saying you dislike bad manners. If that's all a pirate is, is a bad mannered person.... big deal? Have you never driven on a U.S. highway before? Maybe you should find a forum about that and talk all day about how you dislike drivers' bad manners.

If you want to discuss piracy, go for it. But don't sound like such a whiny brat while you do it. Who is it you're expecting to listen to you? People who already agree with you?

I'll be filing this under "P" for pointless.

 

[Alex_P]

*Looks around the devastated landscape and the remaining survivors*

Shall we sum this up then? Do we have consensus that:

- Property rights are to be respected. If you don't, you're doing something bad?
- Consumer rights are to be respected. If you don't, you're doing something bad?
- Producers need to make people want to purchase their products rather than trying to bully people into not pirating them?
- The amount of pirating taking place needs to be reduced since that makes the producers take drastic and sometimes damaging measures?
- A consumer that takes measures to enforce his/her rights and fair use of a purchased product shall not be held accountable for that?

Anyone opposed?

/S

I'm opposed to the idea that "intellectual property" is a kind of "property" with "property rights" attached rather than a completely-different-thing with completely-different-thing rights attached.

Both morally and legally, equating the two leads to a stupid place because people start making all kinds of bullshit analogies instead of looking at "IP," software, &c. on its own terms.

The right to make money from your work is distinct from property rights. The moral rights of the creator are distinct from property rights.

-- Alex

 

[Nugget]

Me? Give money to EA? I think not.

 

[Akafrank]

People trying to justify piracy all seem to digress into wild rationalizations in order to obfuscate a very simple fact. They believe that wanting something is synonymous with deserving something. At least be straight about it, you want it and you don't want to pay for it. That makes you think stealing it right.

I think game pirates do unfortunately have the luxury of knowing that they will never experience reciprocity, as they will never have an idea worth stealing.

 

[Akafrank]

They believe that not paying for something is synonymous with deserving not to have something.

So are you suggesting that video games are somehow your inalienable right or do you apply this logic with every commercial product/service?