Answer Truthfully Now...

[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.

[Golem!dk]

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 tend to wait outside the stores mugging people as they leave with their newly bought software, this way the vendors still get paid.

[dougal]

OSX Snow Leopard on iMac = Original
Windows 7 = Pirated
Amiga OS3.9 = Original
Windows 7 on netbook = Original
Windows XP on Laptop = Original
OSX Tiger on iBook = Pirated

85% of my Xbox 360 games = Pirated
99% of my Amiga games = Pirated

[runequester]

I can't remember the last time I needed a piece of software that was not GPL or a similar license. Just say no to proprietary software. I did buy copies of Prey, Quake 4 and Quakewars as I like to support linux developers buttheres almost always a better, free alternative

[Trev]

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

At bookstores and newsstands, do you read passages from books, newspapers, or magazines before paying for them? Do you take photographs at modern art museums? Copyright infringement and unlicensed use are not the same as shoplifting, which involves personal property.

EDIT: Re: the poll, it's complicated. Since ownership of licensed software is never actually transferred to the end user, an end user can never own a copy of licensed software. Do I use software I haven't paid for? Yes, I use software daily at work that my employer purchased.

[TheGoose]

I guess so, whdload games. But, I did own them at one time? Not an easy question. Back in the day when it actually mattered, I paid for all software.

[loedown]

Most of the stuff I run is legit, a few games are not, a legacy from times yore when I didn't have so much of the filthy lucre.

[orb85750]

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.

Yes, scuzz has it right.  Piracy certainly is stealing, hence my allusion to shoplifting earlier.  If you walk into Best Buy and steal a box of software off the shelf, Best Buy suffers.  If you instead steal software via the internet, the software company suffers.  Is there really a fundamental difference?

(EDIT: I am speaking here about software that is still available through legal means, but you choose to steal rather than buy.)

[orb85750]

At bookstores and newsstands, do you read passages from books, newspapers, or magazines before paying for them? Do you take photographs at modern art museums? Copyright infringement and unlicensed use are not the same as shoplifting, which involves personal property.

Wrong.  We're talking here about illegally obtaining software for free instead of paying for it.  Your first example is akin to trying out software in a store if that store makes such a kiosk available, correct?  Now if you copy the entire book and walk out of the store with that copy, your example becomes more relevant.

[persia]

Long court fights are definitely in the forecast before the whole digital copyright situation is finally finished.  I would say in 3 to 5 years we'll have a better handle on licenses and what they truly mean.  And more than likely they will mean different things in Sydney, New York and London...

At bookstores and newsstands, do you read passages from books, newspapers, or magazines before paying for them? Do you take photographs at modern art museums? Copyright infringement and unlicensed use are not the same as shoplifting, which involves personal property.

EDIT: Re: the poll, it's complicated. Since ownership of licensed software is never actually transferred to the end user, an end user can never own a copy of licensed software. Do I use software I haven't paid for? Yes, I use software daily at work that my employer purchased.

[B00tDisk]

It's nearly impossible to be a software pirate on the Amiga any more.  I mean, really.  What are folks supposed to do - call up EA and ask them if they can register their copy of Deluxe Paint V, or The Immortal?  And in exchange for what, exactly?  You're not exactly going to get replacement floppies from them if one tanks.

Conversely, on the PC (speaking strictly for myself) digital copies of games especially through Steam are a real blessing.  I have a moderately behind the bleeding edge system, and I'm picky about what I play, so for me there's no problem throwing down $5.00 for, say, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., etc.  And the stuff I pay full price for is, to me, completely worth it.  Valve's games are friggin' art.  It's about rewarding good programmers.

OS wise (and this applies equally to games), you're asking for a punch in the mouth (so to speak) using pirate copies.  Okay, fine, what exactly did you install?  Was that ISO of XP, Vista or 7 just that OS?  Or did you just install a pre-backdoored meeting place for every sort of malware and spyware loose on the internet?  Same goes for pirated games; that NoCD crack you're running might have injected something into your system when you ran it the first time - I've seen it over and over.

Finally...speaking, again, strictly for the PC, there's plenty of free apps out there, so much so that honestly there's no reason to pirate other than to say "Ha ha, I got a free copy". GIMP is available for most Win platforms, and for the Mac, as well as Linux builds.  There's a character limit to posts so I can't effectively list all of the free CD/DVD tools.  And even if you don't want to screw with them Win7 (don't know about Vista) has a fine DVD toolkit built right in.

[the_leander]

Yes, scuzz has it right.  Piracy certainly is stealing,

theft (θɛft)
 
—n
1.     criminal law the dishonest taking of property belonging to another person with the intention of depriving the owner permanently of its possession
2.     rare something stolen

Copyright infringement != Theft

And perpetuating the lie only serves to warn others of your idiocy.

[Trev]

Wrong.  We're talking here about illegally obtaining software for free instead of paying for it.  Your first example is akin to trying out software in a store if that store makes such a kiosk available, correct?  Now if you copy the entire book and walk out of the store with that copy, your example becomes more relevant.

Copyright infringement is not the same as theft of personal property. For now, books, videos, and records still count as personal property. It won't be long before publishers start adding license agreements to books, magazines, and audio and video recordings, though, and they'll no longer be personal property. They'll simply be licensed works. This is why you can transfer ownership of a compact disc but not a downloaded MP3.

The most humorous part about the comparison is that it's meant to scare or guilt people into not copying software; however, the punishment for copying software is several orders of magnitude worse than the punishment for shoplifting. If you want a "free" game, your best bet is to shoplift. Worst case, you'll pay a small fine and have a misdemeanor on your record. If you copy the game, however, you could end up paying $150,000 per copy, spend a few years in jail, get gang raped, and lose your right to vote.

[Gulliver]

Copyright infringement is not the same as theft of personal property. For now, books, videos, and records still count as personal property. It won't be long before publishers start adding license agreements to books, magazines, and audio and video recordings, though, and they'll no longer be personal property. They'll simply be licensed works. This is why you can transfer ownership of a compact disc but not a downloaded MP3.

The most humorous part about the comparison is that it's meant to scare or guilt people into not copying software; however, the punishment for copying software is several orders of magnitude worse than the punishment for shoplifting. If you want a "free" game, your best bet is to shoplift. Worst case, you'll pay a small fine and have a misdemeanor on your record. If you copy the game, however, you could end up paying $150,000 per copy, spend a few years in jail, get gang raped, and lose your right to vote.

Here, in Chile if you are caught shoplifting goods for under 30 dollars, they cannot send you to jail/fine you/put a misdemeanor on your record, they just make you return those goods. So yes, the best bet is to shoplift

Software copying, on the other hand, is strictly fined and legally prosecuted.

[runequester]

Copyright infringement is not the same as theft of personal property. For now, books, videos, and records still count as personal property. It won't be long before publishers start adding license agreements to books, magazines, and audio and video recordings, though, and they'll no longer be personal property. They'll simply be licensed works. This is why you can transfer ownership of a compact disc but not a downloaded MP3.

The most humorous part about the comparison is that it's meant to scare or guilt people into not copying software; however, the punishment for copying software is several orders of magnitude worse than the punishment for shoplifting. If you want a "free" game, your best bet is to shoplift. Worst case, you'll pay a small fine and have a misdemeanor on your record. If you copy the game, however, you could end up paying $150,000 per copy, spend a few years in jail, get gang raped, and lose your right to vote.

its absurd but its true

[LoadWB]

DVDFab is using the ffmpeg library without proper compliance with the ffmpeg license.

Issue 382: DVDFab Decrypter Platinum fails to provide source and licensing information - FFmpeg issue tracker
https://roundup.ffmpeg.org/issue382

I have had multiple copies of Miami running -- I owned a single key, but was unable to purchase new keys.  Recently I picked up a machine with MiamiDX on it and use it now, instead, on my 4000D.  I have Miami still running on an A500+ and my A1200 but will purchase the new TCP/IP stack when it comes available.  My A2000 and 3000 run Genesis from their OS3.9 CDs -- all of my installations of which are properly licensed. (Do I want a cookie?  No, just fact.)

All of my commercial software installations are legit.  I have a Microsoft Action Pack Subscription as a registered partner, so I have 10 copies of each OS, Office, server installations, and a lot of other software.  I do my best to maintain proper licensing, but Microsoft does not make it easy (you can get four different answers from four of its own licensing people.)

As for WinZip, why not use 7-Zip?

And I absolutely refuse to accept the notion that past transgressions make present or future admonitions invalid.  I pirated the shit out of Commodore 64 software because I was a kid and really had no concept of what copyright protection was about (irrespective of "Don't Copy That Floppy.")  I attended a lot of "swap parties" and came home with some really great stuff, and at one time in my life I had access to a network which allowed me to "call out" of nodes in other countries, Germany in particular, to access BBSs for even more goodies.

When I bought my first Amiga in 1992 it came with a collection of pirated games, of which the ones I played and wanted to keep I was able to buy at some point as by this time I had better knowledge and understanding.  I even irritated some of my PC compatriots for berating them for pirating games just because "they're too expensive."

Did I do wrong?  Absolutely.  Have I learned?  Most definitely.  Do I still have a moral ground upon which to stand?  Well, I guess that depends upon someone's own morals.  In a way, by finding an obedience to the law I have "found Jesus."  

So I suppose someone else's morals may be more concrete and strict, or perhaps relativistic.  I cannot repay my youthful transgressions monetarily to those against whom I have trespassed, but I can pay my debt to society by ensuring that my knowledge and understanding of those actions are passed on.