Is Bootlegging Software always Bad?

[Minor Axis]

I usually purchase my software. However, I admit I've used a copy of a program I did not purchase but was given to me and back in the day I used to buy Mac programs in Korea for a couple of dollars or so each. As a rule how do you all feel about bootlegged software?

As a rule, I believe using bootlegged software is bad in that if enough people do it, then profits fall, the product suffers. However there have been times when I view a product as outrageously expensive for my needs and since I'm just playing around with it, I used a copy of a photo manipulation software that was given to me. Maybe it is rationalization, but I reason I never would have paid that much for this product so the parent company has lost nothing. By that same reasoning I reasoned that if I ever started using this product to generate income, I'd be happy to pay their price for it.

I see a distinction between professional software and games. Games should not be bootlegged. These are not to generate income f rom, but just to enjoy. That is what you are paying for. Thoughts?

 

[darkangel]

I wouldn't buy bootlegged software but if it was a gift then I'm all for it!

 

[Springsteen]

I'm not sure...

I mean I 'own' pretty much every single WWE PPV, WCW PPV, ECW PPV, every Clash Of The Champions, every episode of Saturday Night's Main Event there ever was in the 80's/90's, and pretty much every WWE DVD since, even the ones they bring out now.

Now in reality I couldn't afford to buy all of that (remember, we're talking about hundreds and hundreds of hours of footage here) so if someone has very kindly decided to make that avilable to my good self, why shouldn't I take up the opportunity to own it? I think anyone would given the chance. Plus, it's not like WWE make money on that stuff anymore, well, hardly any.

But I only keep this for my own enjoyment, I don't sell it (there is a market by the way)

Onto bootlegging software (just wanted to get my opinion across for generally bootlegging) I have no problem with it as long as it's not that much

 

[skyblue]

i only do it if its a cd i cant get in england......or if its a pre release,but then i usually buy the proper version when its released

 

[edgray]

I'm undecided. It is stealing, there's no getting around that fact I'm afraid.

Businesses should never pirate. They require software as a tool for their trade. For example, when I was freelance a few years ago, I would always set aside money to keep my Creative Suite up to date. It was a tax deduction of course, which was a nice incentive, and it keeps Adobe pushing the boundaries of what their apps can do. Businesses have no excuse.

For a casual home user, who could never afford CS or something, I see less of a problem. They were never going to buy it in the first place, and it's in Adobe's interest for as many people to be able to use their software as possible. I think this is why their copy protection is so lax, same as Quark and other design apps.

But I think most of the time there isn't too much need to pirate, there are so many open source, shareware and freeware apps around that are just amazing. Creative Commons licenses are the future

 

[Zorak]

Yes. Always. It's theft.

If you feel the need to justify yourself in doing it, you already know you're doing wrong.

 

[edgray]

Yes. Always. It's theft.

If you feel the need to justify yourself in doing it, you already know you're doing wrong.

when I was learning design, QuarkXpress cost 1,400GBP. It's clear they put zero copy protection on it so students could copy it, and that's how they became the industry standard, companies had to use it because all the students knew how to use it.

 

[Francis]

Yes. Always. It's theft.

If you feel the need to justify yourself in doing it, you already know you're doing wrong.

Yes it always is by the Software manufacturers that leave old product in stores knowing a new release is about to be shipped..

Defective products are subject to recall but not software, why ?

Many software manufacturers know and advise retail stores of upcoming releases and those stores then undercut the older version resales as to flood the market with the older, many times defective software even if the manufacturer has offered them a cash back for each license left in store.

Hence they get a double whammy, the money back from the manufacturer and sell an unsuspecting and many times non-computer savvy customer a product that might not work on his OS system and or will not have the features he expects. This leaves the customer to argue with the manufacturer they got ripped off and many times need to buy an upgrade, at a premium, making it a form of theft..

These companies know they are doing wrong and still do it all the time.. I walk into Best Buy and see out dated software on the shelf daily..

It's time that Software manufacturers are forced to recall out dated software back that has not been sold, juts as you would a defective Baby Crib and Food Product or car part.

As far as the consumer is concerned, yes it should be Theft as well..

Keeping in mind how companies advertise falsely a product it becomes a grey market that makes it difficult to feel sorry for them. How many of us have bought software with "lifetime" license and upgrades all to be told the terms have changed due to the company going bankrupt and the IP being bought out by a new company. If you buy the IP ( Intellectual property ) then you get all that comes with it.. We all know many of these bankruptcies are all on paper only and for getting rid of prior commitments anyway, so start enforcing what you promised..

I am damn sick an tired of being taken advantaged of in both situations of both listed above when I was naive and started out a long long time ago, yet still see the same shit issues today..