Answer Truthfully Now...

[koshman]

@ orb85750: Ehh, you can't copy candy bars....
Not defending pirating, but it IS a difference.

@ kedawa: +1

[Franko]

And for those who pirate software that is still available "through legal channels" .....Do you have any reservations about shoplifting (other than getting caught)?

I reckon I should have worded the question a bit better, but I was really only meaning do you still use old software that is no longer available to actually purchase or obtain legally.

I know it does not matter how old it is, it's still piracy, but with the Amiga's situation for a vast majority of cases their is no other way of obtaining or using this old software.

Be it shareware or a commercial product, if It's still available to buy or pay a shareware fee I personally still buy or pay for such a product, but I'm not going to hide the fact that I still use plenty of old software that is no longer available to buy or pay the shareware fees on.

Why would I shoplift when the product is there to be bought !

[Karlos]

Short answer, yes. Slightly longer one, yes, but entirely legally. I have certain copyrighted software that was not paid for, but use with the vendor's express permission.

[Franko]

Short answer, yes. Slightly longer one, yes, but entirely legally. I have certain copyrighted software that was not paid for, but use with the vendor's express permission.

So wheres your Vote then Karlos...

[Karlos]

So wheres your Vote then Karlos...

I declined to vote given that the wording of the poll carried the implicit suggestion that the unpaid for software was in use illegally, which is not the case.

[marcfrick2112]

Well, when I was younger.. I pirated quite a bit, mostly apps. , I could usually afford games

   Now tho, I always buy programs, even those not available through 'regular channels'. I lucked out and found CityBuilder and Cathedral sets for Lightwave from a very sketchy seller on EBay (about 1 week after I got my disks, the seller lost his account)  
    Sadly, now it seems like everyone selling Amiga items on EPay thinks they have the rarest item on Earth..... LightROM sets that used to go for $10-15 are now $39.99 and up..... Bleachhh! That's .05 more than the original list price !?&#$!*?
     I now always buy/register progs. that I use regularly, money permitting ...

[Ilwrath]

Short answer, yes. Slightly longer one, yes, but entirely legally. I have certain copyrighted software that was not paid for, but use with the vendor's express permission.

Yep, GPL is still a copyright.  I use free, but copyrighted, software all the time.

As for commercial software...  Very rarely would I pirate, anymore.  I suppose there are probably one or two things on my home system, but I try to use properly licensed commercial software when I have to.  (Usually only when a decent GPL version doesn't exist.)

[Boudicca]

With all the recent threads going on about copyright etc.. I reckon this poll will go down as the one with the least ever responses.

However if you brave enough or honest enougth, it would be quite interesting to see the results...

Simply answer **** off u N**** C***, Go and ask a Cop have they ever smoked dope or driven over the speed limit.

[scuzzb494]

No I don't. No I wouldn't. And seriously I believe it is utterly wrong. This extends to downloading music, videos or any other form of entertainment. It's not just piracy but theft. Anything in the collection that I could not verify its authenticity never gets used. There is nothing on any computer in this house used by me that has been pirated. I just don`t agree with it. And I'm serious.

All my Amiga disks that come into the collection with copied games and software get recycled. Always have done.

And it doesn`t matter if the product is no longer available. Just cus a company has gone bust doesn`t give you the right to break into the warehouse and take what you want. It's not yours and you have no legal right irrespective of any view you might have. You are breaking the law.

[Boudicca]

. And seriously I believe it is utterly  You are breaking the law.

Breaking a law, is that the same as breaking the law ? I am fairly certain I contravene quite a few laws everyday.

* Dropping Cigarette Butts (I roll mine, so they bio-degrade...)
* Speed Limit
* Turning right ahead of a queue of cars
* Undertaking
* Using demo/trial software beyond their 30days warning e.g Winzip
* Taking Pens home from work. They just slip in there.
* Do a favour for someone then receiving beer money and not declaring it as income.
* Burning down Hypocrites houses ! Guilty!

[Franko]

Simply answer **** off u N**** C***, Go and ask a Cop have they ever smoked dope or driven over the speed limit.

Simple answer from a simple mind... :roflmao:

[ElPolloDiabl]

If you buy as much as you pirate, you are not at all a drain on society. Make a small donation to charity with some of the money you save, it clears my conscience up.

[Nlandas]

Yes.  I don't want to say "it's software vendors fault", but seriously.  I will buy OS licenses almost every time, because I don't want to deal with the hassle of having to use a workaround, or leaving someone's OS unpatched, but:

New computer from Dell factory outlet: $600, +$150 for monitor (includes Win7 Pro license)

compared to

Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro: $389
Office 2010 Pro: $411

(prices from newegg.com)

I'll switch our users over to OpenOffice, before ever paying that sort of ridiculous amount for basic productivity software.  :-/

If you are a student(even temporarily) or teacher you can get licenses at Academic Superstore for a lot less. http://www.academicsuperstore.com

[Nlandas]

Yep, GPL is still a copyright.  I use free, but copyrighted, software all the time.

As for commercial software...  Very rarely would I pirate, anymore.  I suppose there are probably one or two things on my home system, but I try to use properly licensed commercial software when I have to.  (Usually only when a decent GPL version doesn't exist.)

I buy all my modern software but most of the old games and stuff from platforms I emulate isn't really readily available new anymore. Have you noticed that sometimes used software isn't legal to sell to another user.

The only time I've stretched the rules in modern times is when I buy a piece of software that I only use one place at a time but want it on two machines and that's rare.

[persia]

I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot poll!

[Ilwrath]

I buy all my modern software but most of the old games and stuff from platforms I emulate isn't really readily available new anymore. Have you noticed that sometimes used software isn't legal to sell to another user.

Well, that is a different situation, really.  I mean, just emulating the platform probably isn't exactly legal in the US.  Let alone negotiating licenses for stuff that has no clear owner, anymore.

I was going more by the spirit of "Current software versions on a current primary work system."  

If you were to go through my entire collection of software and data dating back almost 30 years during which time I was various levels of student and/or starving, it would be a very different story.  :lol:

The only time I've stretched the rules in modern times is when I buy a piece of software that I only use one place at a time but want it on two machines and that's rare.

Yeah, that is a sticky one, isn't it?  The one or two copies over license for convenience of having it in two places not to be concurrently used.  BSA would call it a problem.  Me, probably not so much.