Opinion on Software Theft - Page 3

[jwenting]

I know it will not happen tomorrow. Note I did mention Window 2010 :)
But all or most of the component technologies are in place at this time.

[JANINE]

Maybe, but i wouldnt either

[meksikatsi]

I don't think the market would allow such a scheme - there are too many platforms out there that would let you get around this methodology to let them get away with this kind of usage.

[Catalana]

Open source software is what keeps the big boys from taking over the industry and keeps them honest.

[meksikatsi]

Back to the topic, the effort to catch software pirates should be increased and the penalties enforced.

[Catweazle]

Precisely. As societies, cultures and nations we claim to oppose software piracy, yet we allow 'individual freedoms and rights' to interfere with out efforts to control the illegal practice. By leaving our authorities and law enforcement bodies toothless to combat the crime, we force a situation where sometimes ridiculous measures are adopted by publishers to guard against the possibility. What we end up doing is, in fact, restricting our personal rights and freedoms inadvertantly.

Bugger the crooks! Let them be caught so that MY rights are protected!

[jwenting]

It's the same with all crime effectively. When a murderer gets only two years in prison because he was declared mentally unstable (which seems easy enough, just act weird during the interview with the shrink I guess) there's something fundamentally wrong with the justice system.

The "rights" of criminals in our societies are now more important than the rights of their victims. The number of cases thrown out because of technicalities is skyrocketing, and these include cases where the evidence is overwhelming and the accused has admitted guilt more often than not.

In such an environment enforcing laws where the evidence is often ethereal is tough. If the criminal claims the evidence was planted he's more or less guaranteed to walk free.

[server_crash]

It's the same with all crime effectively. When a murderer gets only two years in prison because he was declared mentally unstable (which seems easy enough, just act weird during the interview with the shrink I guess) there's something fundamentally wrong with the justice system.

The "rights" of criminals in our societies are now more important than the rights of their victims. The number of cases thrown out because of technicalities is skyrocketing, and these include cases where the evidence is overwhelming and the accused has admitted guilt more often than not.

In such an environment enforcing laws where the evidence is often ethereal is tough. If the criminal claims the evidence was planted he's more or less guaranteed to walk free.

What I find stupid, is that it costs $35,000 FOR EACH PRISONER each year at a big prision. Not only that, but the stupid lawsuits are costing the states millions.

[jwenting]

The cost of lawsuits should indeed be charged to the loosing party (as they are in case of civilian suits in many countries).
A person in prison costs a lot, but that same person out on the street potentially does a lot more damage making the imprisonment economically viable.
If you want to reduce the cost of prisons, apply the death penalty to smaller offenses. I somehow doubt many people would agree to the death penalty being applied for stealing a car though.

[zeroth]

The cost of lawsuits should indeed be charged to the loosing party (as they are in case of civilian suits in many countries).
A person in prison costs a lot, but that same person out on the street potentially does a lot more damage making the imprisonment economically viable.
If you want to reduce the cost of prisons, apply the death penalty to smaller offenses. I somehow doubt many people would agree to the death penalty being applied for stealing a car though.

Pretty hard to electrocute somebody for having a bootleg copy of Windows, no?:eek:

[belama]

The cost of lawsuits should indeed be charged to the loosing party (as they are in case of civilian suits in many countries).
A person in prison costs a lot, but that same person out on the street potentially does a lot more damage making the imprisonment economically viable.
If you want to reduce the cost of prisons, apply the death penalty to smaller offenses. I somehow doubt many people would agree to the death penalty being applied for stealing a car though.

Having someone executed by death penalty is more expensive than keeping him in prison doesn't it? I mean, all the procedures in court and everything cost a lot!! You don't just apply death penalty to someone because you want to....

[server_crash]

Having someone executed by death penalty is more expensive than keeping him in prison doesn't it? I mean, all the procedures in court and everything cost a lot!! You don't just apply death penalty to someone because you want to....

Uhhh NO. You can purchase a bullet for a penny, and there are some pretty inexpensive guns out there...

Death penalty for smaller offenses is exactly what we need...but I wont get into my views on that subject.

[JjEjFjF]

Pretty hard to electrocute somebody for having a bootleg copy of Windows, no?:eek:

Nice try at TRYING to bring this conversation back to what it started out about.

[belama]

Uhhh NO. You can purchase a bullet for a penny, and there are some pretty inexpensive guns out there...

Death penalty for smaller offenses is exactly what we need...but I wont get into my views on that subject.

It's not as simple as that. There sometimes are multiple month of court hearings before they decide to execute someone. They don't just buy a bullet and kill these people.

[server_crash]

It's not as simple as that. There sometimes are multiple month of court hearings before they decide to execute someone. They don't just buy a bullet and kill these people.

Months?

Actually, on average it takes 6 years before executing someone...Which is stupid.

[belama]

Months?

Actually, on average it takes 6 years before executing someone...Which is stupid.

See? even you seem to disagree with what you said earlier... :)

[server_crash]

No, I said that was stupid. I believe we should speed the process up, which is why I metioned the bullet and gun. You need to read more carefully next time.

[belama]

I saw that already... The way you said it was just like if death penalty was shooting a guy with a cheap bullet and gun.

[server_crash]

I saw that already... The way you said it was just like if death penalty was shooting a guy with a cheap bullet and gun.

:lol:

You really thought that I didn't know what it was?

[belama]

:lol:

You really thought that I didn't know what it was?

There are people that don't. Especially those who are younger. You were just contradicting your statements...

[server_crash]

Which statements are these?

[Catweazle]

If people want to have a private discussion about an unrelated topic, please do so via PM. If people wish to discuss a clearly unrelated topic, please do so in a thread of its own.

Let's get back to discussing Software Piracy shall we?

[belama]

Sorry about the off topic discussion.. ;)

Death penalty for smaller offenses is exactly what we need

We cant't exagerate though...

Pretty hard to electrocute somebody for having a bootleg copy of Windows, no?:eek:

zeroth, I think the same way...

[zeroth]

Let's get back to discussing Software Piracy shall we?

Well, the poll is closed. Not that many voters but the results show what I suspected would be the case. Most of us believe that using illicit copies of software is wrong. And most of those have used such copies in their careers. I suspect this would be true in a much larger cross section of computer users.

Another opinion of the state of the industry did come to light and this was that piracy has caused many software companies to try and protect their products by including devices to protect the software that make it hard to use. One example is the difficulty in making backup copies of useful software.

A third opinion that I share is that making evaluation software available is a good thing. You can use it until you are sure that it is going to be something that will help you in the long run and then purchase the product and get support.

Thanks to all for participating in this thread.

[jwenting]

Pretty hard to electrocute somebody for having a bootleg copy of Windows, no?:eek:

no harder than to electrocute them for whatever else.
Technically that is :mrgreen:

Having someone executed by death penalty is more expensive than keeping him in prison doesn't it? I mean, all the procedures in court and everything cost a lot!! You don't just apply death penalty to someone because you want to....

That depends on
1) how long the person would otherwise be in prison
2) how many delaying actions you allow. Arrest at noon, convict at sunset, execute at dawn. Quick, saves on cells, and reduces the demand for lawyers :cool:

They don't just buy a bullet and kill these people.

Maybe not in the US. In China they bill the family or relatives of the convict the bullet, reducing the cost even more.

A third opinion that I share is that making evaluation software available is a good thing. You can use it until you are sure that it is going to be something that will help you in the long run and then purchase the product and get support.

Evaluation versions are a good thing and might stop some people from using a pirated version.
BUT it would not stop most and it has been shown time and again that most evaluation versions are very easy to crack and remove the limitations on their use (thus effectively making piracy easier and increasing the likelihood of it happening).
Case in point: I once got an evaluation version of DBase 5 (I think it was) that had a 30 day limit on it. Took maybe 10 minutes to figure out how that was implemented, would have taken me maybe 10 seconds after that to remove the protection.
Now, there are better schemes out there, but for someone with the right tools they're all easy to subvert. The only alternative is to make an entirely separate product for the eval version (so don't just set a global boolean to indicate it's an eval version for example but a separate codebase), something that's hiddeously expensive.

[Cup of Squirrel]

rofl slightly offtopic, but someone gave me a minus reputation point from this thread Oo

[server_crash]

rofl slightly offtopic, but someone gave me a minus reputation point from this thread Oo

How do you check? I know I've got some negative rep the past few days!

[server_crash]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I just looked and I've recieved one neg rep point for this because what I said was unnessasary(spelling)...Then I got one for another thread that says, servercrash was harsh and arrogant....muahhahahahhahah I love this rep thing.

[belama]

I've had two minus rep on the 22nd of april for no reason in a word game... these rep arent used properly thats for sure...

It seems like nobody has got anything else to say about piracy...

[server_crash]

I've had two minus rep on the 22nd of april for no reason in a word game... these rep arent used properly thats for sure...

It seems like nobody has got anything else to say about piracy...

I'll give you some positive rep. It's funny but stupid how some people are treating this. It's like, people don't understand that when your in a debate, you argue with people.