What are people’s views on Software piracy?

[Jimmy Little]

Just wondered what your views were?

I have a full copy of windows xp and office xp, I managed to get them slightly
cheaper via my school I work for, but they still cost me a fair bit.. NOW my
problem comes when I’m upgrading and building new systems.. which for most of
us on here must happen a fair bit.. so after consulting my brother he gave me
a dodgy copy of both of windows xp and office which I use and do not feel bad
about as I have legal copies of both…… neither have the protection or the activating issues that cause me so much grief! As far as games go I have no issues with for example going halves on CM4 with my mate… as we play it as a two player game and using a cd crack… but if the game is good like the new Jedi Knight game, I would follow up and buy a proper copy…

With my 5000 Mp3 I would say 75% I own, or at least own the original song and
have downloaded a live version… another 10% would be live stuff with some of
my favoured artists such as U2 and Counting Crows who don’t mind that happening.. Then the other 15% I guess would be classed as ‘borrowed’ normally a good song I have herd but perhaps would not buy the artist album or single..

[HAz]

Some games deserve to be brought some dont. i brought gta 3 for pc and the suprot for it was poor they never fixd the stuuter and loads of bugs the game had, so i never paid for vice city when that came out, i got a warez copy.i brought half life and its been a good game to me for years, mainly because the mods and the consant updates to them. i will defo be paying for hl2.

[Russ]

HAz its people like yourself that cuase the lack of customer service. if there company is going to run efficiently there going to need to pay people, now if every1 is rippign there games, not as mich money, not as much customer service / updates.

I never ever ever (x5) d/l games, music, sometimes, movies? i prefer dvd's for my shelf...

[th3 mol3]

If I want a game, I'll download it and try it out. I will then perhaps buy it if a legit serial key is needed to play it online (e.g. C&C Generals), or I just love the game so much I want a proper copy (e.g. GTA3).

Oh yeah... rip's suck! ISO's pwn

[Agent]

Admitting to software theft on a public message board - and naming the titles you are doing it with is not a smart thing to do guys.

[Swafe]

ive dabbled in this divx nonscence, yeah its ok but theres nothing like having the real dvd, one looks better, quality instead of a cheap knock off, people dont think your a cheap ass when u lend them it and find its a copy, oh and the qualitys better

dvds > divx anyday, plus you dont have to wait yonks for them to download, and wont get in trouble for them

[steve threlfall]

Having downloaded a few divx's myself i think the qualitys a joke. For me if the films excellent then i will get the dvd if not then downloading the divx and actualy going throught the painful process of watching it is not worth it. I see every film that i like the look of at the cinema anyway so i know what i want to get the dvd of. Also surround sound- Ive payed for an awesome sony system and i will be bl00dy using it now same goes for the 28" widescreen tv in my bedroom

[Areku]

Regarding DIVX, I downloaded Matrix Reloaded, DVD-Rip (yeh right) but just beacause I downloaded it doesnt mean I wont guy and actually buy the DVD, its just to keep me entertained until the DVD does actually come out. Usually the only time I'll go and download a flick is when I cant find it in stores, or online (although most can be found online nowadays), but there are a few which cant be found (sometimes). Well thats my $0.02

[Slick]

I don't really do divx's, my g/f downloads some anime divx's on my broadband connection though cos she can't get them in England and importing's not worth the hastle. I also don't really do warez games anymore cos I love playing online games and most of the warez copies won't work online. I've downloaded a few mp3s though.

/me looks at 17.3GB of mp3's on hard drive

[Dfhaii]

i think that it is going to happen because of the prices, if software was priced reasonably people would buy more of it. Generally ill borrow a game if i like it i will go out and buy it but if i dont it will be uninstalled and never played again. I dont think it is right to go out and spend >£30 on something which may be crap.

Col

[Sibu]

i don't dl movies bcos i've still only got 56k. If a game is worth buying, i'll buy it, otherwise, why bother?

[luke313]

Originally posted by Dfhaii
i think that it is going to happen because of the prices, if software was priced reasonably people would buy more of it. Generally ill borrow a game if i like it i will go out and buy it but if i dont it will be uninstalled and never played again. I dont think it is right to go out and spend >£30 on something which may be crap.

Col

...Hence the fact the developers bring out demos??
I download mp3's of songs that I already own, or of songs from albums that I am likely to buy in the near future. Piracy has only become a global problem since Napster and now Kazaa/Morpheus as files are readily available from people that are hard to trace. Nearly everything that I have downloaded from p2p networks has been from people that I do not know, so people will have a very hard time to find out exactly who has downloaded what.
My 2p...

[Swafe]

yeah, why i dont buy consoles any more

i paid 40 notes for some of my PS1 games, and now id have trouble getting 2 notes for them, they depreciate too much, and not only that most games are rushed and are carp, theres only a few, half life, quake 3, vice city, IMO that are worth the money..

[slugs]

i normally operate a try before you buy policy on games. ive got loads that are not even opened finished the game and bought it anyway.

[Swafe]

divx quality is actually pretty good if u get a good rip, or do a good rip

but not as good as the original

[SilentDeath]

if theres something i want ill d/l it.... only if its good will i buy it.. else ill use it and eventually itll find itself deleted. stuff costs too much and tbh they dont even know i exist so whether i have there crap or not doesnt really affect them (only affects when theres a lot of ppl doing it and im just one of them untill piracy becomes very very rare i see no point in paying. for example, if i was to kill myself they wouldnt get anoher penny out of me... but they dont care if i did so y should i care if i get there crap for free?

and tbh if piracy / stealing managed to find its way legal they would do it themselves... and some probly do. if it has no risk, makes them money then it doesnt matter if its wrong from there point of view.. as individuals we all just have a LOT less risk.