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Forums - PC Discussion - Do you often pirate things on a computer?

 

Do you often pirate things on a computer?

Yes all the time 68 38.42%
 
Sometimes 59 33.33%
 
I try not to 29 16.38%
 
No I never pirate 21 11.86%
 
Total:177
Kirameo on 10 January 2010
dunno001 said:
Kirameo said:
dunno001 said:
Kirameo said:
dunno001 said:


That is not piracy, as while your friend is borrowing the game, it deprives you of the ability to play it. There was one license sold, and one copy existing for it. This is fine (even if a few companies may want to say otherwise). What would be piracy is if you made a copy of it for your friend, as your one license now can be used twice concurrently. I assume that Canada also has something like the US's version of right to resell? Loaning it is selling it for $0, with the intent that it will be sold back to you at a later time for $0. Weird wording, I know, but it does allow it to fall into the fair use part.

The used games market argueably hurts the industry more than piracy.

 

If I buy a physical copy that is used (meaning that the company doesn't benefit from it) I'm sure I would most likely buy a new copy (benefiting the company) if there was not an used one.

In the other hand, someone who pirates most likely would not buy the game if he could not pirate it.


I'm not going to the used market, as, unlike piracy, used games are legal to buy, and for every argument against, there's one for. That's something that nobody's going to agree on. And let's be honest- if someone traded in a game after a week, that means it wasn't worth keeping to them. As for buying habits, that's also going to vary from person to person. I have a roommate who used to pirate stuff, that has stopped of free will, and is trying to buy legit physical copies of everything he ever pirated. Conversely, I'm also trying to talk the other roommate into not getting FF13 at all, or, if she insists, waiting to get a used copy. (I expect used copies to start showing up about 2 days after release.)

But why would you get an used copy? I mean, it's almost the same thing as piracy because the company does not receive money and you get the game. The difference is that you are getting a physical copy (while pirats do not) and the seller of the game gets benefited.


It's far from the same thing as a pirated copy in my eyes. My goal in getting the software (in this case) is not to support the developer, but to do things right, and by right, I mean:
-Legally. I have a copy of the game that has been authorized by the rights holder to exist.
-Resale value. Should I choose to get rid of the game, it can be fairly resold without crossing any IP laws.
-No modding. In the case of FF13, we'd be getting the 360 version. If the system is modded and MS detects it, then it gets bricked from online, for violation of the MS TOS.
-Physical copy. Yeah, you mentioned this, but it can be put on a shelf with other games and look good.

So no, there is a significant difference from piracy and buying used. Besides, didn't you say that if you couldn't get a used copy, you'd probably buy new? What's to say that my removing the used copy means someone else wouldn't buy new instead of that used copy I got?

I said "if the used copy is not available".

Essentially, I could buy an used game, complete it and resell it for the same price. I got to play a game without losing money. Is that moral?



 

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alekth on 10 January 2010

^ don't have a problem with it. Whether you manage to get the same price though, that's not quite up to you, or maybe it's up to your bargaining abilities, but it obviously isn't the norm - games get cheaper over time except for the few rares that get more expensive.



Cypher1980 on 10 January 2010
Millennium said:
Cypher1980 said:
Millennium said:
Cypher1980 said:
Millennium said:
I used to, many moons ago. Then I came to my senses and stopped stealing. I've since either destroyed anything I pirated or sought out legit copies, and while I'm not finished with that second task yet (there's a lot of work to do, and some of them have gotten very hard to find) I'd like to think that I've made good progress.

Pirating digitally is stealing ?

Yes, yes it is.

The way that copyright fundamentally works is that any copy made of a work belongs, initially, to the rightsholder. They can do whatever they want with it -license it out, sell it, destroy it, or whatever- but it is theirs. If you make a copy and do not have some sort of arrangement with them or some other legitimate right (i.e. backup, installation, time-shifting, compatibility, or the handful of other very specific acts collectively known as "fair use"), then you must render it up to them immediately, or else you have stolen that copy.

Piracy is theft, plain and simple. "Making a copy" does not prevent this; in fact, that copy what makes it theft in the first place. Pirates are nothing more than common thieves.

I had no idea it was so serious. But if so why not just convict the pirates for theft in the courts. Its a much more serious offence than copyright infringement.

The message would then be loud and clear that piracy is a serious crime.

Perhaps they should, then. I do think that the balance of copyright is currently skewed more toward producers than it ought to be, to the point where I believe that DRM in any form should be illegal as an infringement on the rights of legitimate users. But there is still a difference between legitimate use and theft.

The works of RMS, who I'm sure a lot of the thieves here have read and taken as "inspiration"- are not a justification for piracy. They never once argue that software should not be sold. If anything, they argue for IP to mimic physical property much more closely than it currently does, with copies rather than licenses being the product for sale. Revisionist interpretations completely miss the point of what he was trying to say, and represent a serious twisting of his words for the sake of LOL I GET GAEMS 4 FREE FIGHT THE POWAH. It's reprehensible.

But this is my point. If they can why have they not.

If it is stealing convict the thieves. If they cannot be bothered to protect their property properly I lose a great deal of sympathy for them.



SamuelRSmith on 10 January 2010

Used to, then I got a job.



nordlead on 10 January 2010
NJ5 said:
dunno001 said:
Gilgamesh said:

Here's another way of looking at pirating, technically the thing that's being pirated is just being shared not stolen, because in order for it to be pirated in the first place someone must of bought it. If I let a friend borrow a game I own is that not pirating?


That is not piracy, as while your friend is borrowing the game, it deprives you of the ability to play it. There was one license sold, and one copy existing for it. This is fine (even if a few companies may want to say otherwise). What would be piracy is if you made a copy of it for your friend, as your one license now can be used twice concurrently. I assume that Canada also has something like the US's version of right to resell? Loaning it is selling it for $0, with the intent that it will be sold back to you at a later time for $0. Weird wording, I know, but it does allow it to fall into the fair use part.

That makes sense, but companies don't abide by it. If I buy a game and lose/damage the DVD, they'll make me pay for another license and another copy. Shouldn't it be possible to buy a copy for cheaper if you already have the license?

 

yes. Pretty much every publisher (CD, Game or otherwise) have a program where you can send back in the old one and get a new copy for a fraction of the cost. For some older games, it isn't worth it, as I think it costs like $15 from Microsoft.




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nordlead on 10 January 2010
NJ5 said:
nordlead said:
NJ5 said:
nordlead said:
I used to a long time ago when I was young and stupid and it was the popular thing to do and Napster was all the rage

Now I work in computer software and luckily no one will pirate my software, but I can completely understand not appreciating not being paid for your work. Also, the whole "I wouldn't have bought it anyways" doesn't make it acceptable in any way shape or form. Just accept that you're being an asshole and pirate away. Then at least you are being honest.

It may not make it acceptable to some people, but the point still stands that when you're pirating something you would never be able to buy, you're not having a negative economic impact on the company selling the software. That's irrefutable.

 

yes, but if you pirate it, you don't have the right to enjoy the other persons hard labor. If said person wanted you to have it for free, then they would say so, but that isn't the case. They want to be paid for their work for you to benefit and if you pirate you do them wrong. That is irrefutable. Now, if you want to pirate, don't try to hide behind these excuses to make yourself fell better.

When we're talking about things like teenagers downloading 3D studio MAX (a multi $k program) to play around, I find it really hard to say it's wrong. Especially when that might put them on a career path which makes them buy later versions of it later on.

Yes, well, as I stated. If the makers of 3D studio MAX wanted kids to get free copies, they would give it away. Obviously they don't, therefore it is wrong. You can try and twist it whatever way you want, but the makers of said software don't want you to have it. Every publisher of content knows what the copyright laws say, and if they didn't want you to abide by them, they would rewrite their liscense otherwise. This is why things like open source software and varying types of liscensing writes exist. I use lots of software that is free for individual personal use, but you must pay a liscense for corporate use. I use GIMP because it is free (and I also can't afford to spend the money on Photoshop).

Microsoft gives away copies of Windows, Visual Studio, Visio, and more to students which is exactly what you are advocating, only in a legal and morally acceptable way. Maybe pirating software could potentially bring small ammounts of profit back to the company, but if the company isn't willing to take a risk giving the software away to potential future users, then it is wrong.




If you drop a PS3 right on top of a Wii, it would definitely defeat it. Not so sure about the Xbox360. - mancandy
In the past we played games. In the future we watch games. - Forest-Spirit
11/03/09 Desposit: Mod Bribery (RolStoppable)  vg$ 500.00
06/03/09 Purchase: Moderator Privilege  vg$ -50,000.00

Nordlead Jr. Photo/Video Gallery!!! (Video Added 4/19/10)

NJ5 on 10 January 2010

nordlead I'm not talking about laws, or what the content creators want. I'm talking about what I see as being moral or immoral. I simply don't think it matters in cases like the ones I mentioned. Other people may think otherwise.



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pastro243 on 10 January 2010

Music, movies, some programs like firewalls and such and old games(now Im playing Chrono Trigger and FFVI on my pc), I also downloaded Ico.



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mibuokami on 12 January 2010

I don't think I have a single friend who does not pirate regularly :/




Nightwish224 on 12 January 2010

For me, pirating is just too much work. It's a lot of searching for a "clean" copy, and then it's a hassle to unzip the folders.... open programs, etc. Good side to piracy: When I played Feeding Frenzy, I instantly fell in love with the game. I later was so happy it came to XBL, and I purchased 1, and then FF2. ;)



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