gregp@pro-carolina.cts.COM (Greg Prevost) (03/25/88)
>> I would not be able to have the software I have if I did not pirate. >I couldn't have a Maserati if I didn't steal (pirate) one, so I don't >have one. Get the picture? > Nancy Berry Wrong, there is a BIG difference between the two. If you steal (pirate) a Maserati then someone is hurt, the owner of the car. If you pirate a piece of software (copy it from a friend) then nobody is hurt since unless you intended to buy that software in the first place then there is no difference to the company that sold it. Each year the software companies claim millions of dollars is lost to piracy and that is just a bunch of bull. Most of the software that gets pirated it by younger kids (true, all age groups do it but the younger ones are more prolific). These kids don't have the money in the first place to pay for the software so where is this millions going to come from? Those that can afford the software and it is well worth the cost will buy it. This is all well and good but there is always going to be people who can afford it and still don't pay for it. I myself just got a Pirate copy of Ultima V last week, my original got here yesterday. Why the illegal copy? Because then it has no copy protection, I got it faster (by five days, shows how much copy protection really protects!) and to check it out first. This modem software I am using, I got a copy before I bought it. I use pirated software for those reasons, to test out a program, to get it WithOut protection on it, and to get it usually faster. Nothing I did is illegal since I am an owner of the program. If I get something that way and I don't like, then I don't use it. Is anything I am doing illegal or unethical? No, you do the same thing if you go to the store and squeeze the charmin, or the tomatoes. I started doing this after buying a few things and finding myself totally riped off. As for stopping piracy, I consider that a fools quest, like the record industry trying to get a tax on blank tape, and stopping the inporting of Dak tape to the USA. There will always be people who are honest and will pay for good quality stuff and there will always be people who will not and I seriously doubt that will ever change, it is human nature. There, I said my piece, now I get to wait and see all the replies.