Somebody recently brought up the topic and I always start ranting when this happens, so here goes. I’m speaking mainly of software piracy, but there is also a little something on music and movies at the end. As a side note, I currently have more installed programs that are actually bought than not, plus freeware to replace whatever utilities can be replaced this way.
Firstly, it’s easier to obtain a pirated program than to buy it. Log on DC, search, download (if it comes at a few Mb/s, even better), you’re done. You don’t need to start shopping, figure out where to buy from and how (and find that you order and get told they don’t really have it, or end up paying hidden fees), wait till it comes (or head over to the store to pick it up), etc..
Aside from that, what’s very important is that you can test it this way. (I bought a single program without trying a pirated version first, Heroes of Might and Magic 4. Heck, it was exactly what I always wanted a Heroes game to be, I didn’t sit to think about it… Seeing as 3DO went bankrupt just because of that game, I suppose it’s good that I never did that again.) Never mind reviews because they’re other people’s opinions, never mind demos because they can show just what the producers want you to see, this way you can use the program, see if you really like it (more importantly, if it can run well on your computer), see what bugs it has and decide if it’s worth it.
Then there’s the issue of money, of course. Some programs cost too much either way you look at it (MS Office comes first to mind… luckily there’s OpenOffice). Others simply cost more than they’re worth, in which case you can either be fair and wait for a price drop (unless it’s made by a company that doesn’t drop prices, and those are usually the large ones, in which case this method obviously can’t apply), or you can use a pirated copy and wait for them to learn their lesson, to set the price according to the product’s value and not their desired profit margins.
But, of course, most of the time the problem is low income. We’re talking about priorities here, and legally purchasing software is a long way below a roof over your head, food on the table, medical assistance when needed, some clothes to wear, the computer to run said software on, etc.. Not to mention the simple fact that you can get software without paying for it.
And also about income, the bigger problem is when your personal income is zero. Usually applies when parents support you and especially when it comes to games. Some parents don’t think that they should pay so their children will have something to play, even when they could afford it, thinking that such an activity takes the focus off what they consider to be important, such as studying. But there’s also the “Why should I pay for something you can get for free?” mentality (bumped into it the first time I asked my parents to buy me a game).
There’s also the us vs. them idea. Mainly rebellion against companies who still make a fuss despite having good sales (boycott VU Games!). Companies try to trick potential buyers, and potential buyers try to pay them back by stealing whatever they can.
I think both sides are to blame… They won’t both back off at the same time, buyers (for lack of a better term) can’t afford to back off first, companies could theoretically afford, but if they’d give a finger they’d probably lose the whole hand, so…
The problems are greed and old mentality, on both sides. What we need is human v2, but till somebody invents it…
And speaking of greed, I have a big issue with distributors. They’re the middle men who earn a lot of money without having any merit in the production process. I don’t want my money (or anybody else’s for that matter) ending up in their pockets, but in those of the ones who actually worked hard to develop the product!
Another problem is the very existence of copy-protection methods. For some they are a challenge, a lock that must be picked, a closed door that they need to open. For others they’re simply annoying (make using the program more difficult, limit the number of installations, etc.). And yet others are bothered by the very idea that they exist.
We’re talking about money producers spend on something that does not improve the product. And, after all, “the day after one man invented the lock, another invented the lockpick”. Any protection will be cracked, and usually sooner rather than later, so from my point of view those are just money thrown down the drain.
Sell programs (and music, and movies, and…) unprotected! Those who want to buy them still will. Those who don’t, won’t buy them even if they’re protected! And thus reducing the costs, programs could either be sold cheaper or those funds could be used to improve them, delivering a better product at the same price.
A personal issue of mine is what am I paying for and what does my shopping support.
I’m very concerned about the environment. That said, I don’t want my purchase to show that I’m supporting a product consisting of a cardboard box a few times larger than what would be required considering what’s in it, a manual containing a few hundred pages (plus a map and whatever else is bundled) that could just as well be left in electronic format, a plastic case for the disk, etc..
What I’d like is to be able to purchase just the usage rights. There could be an option to download the program (for a little extra, to cover for storage space and traffic), but also the option of just buying the license, just the right to use a program that up till then you had a pirated copy of (and, of course, immediately start enjoying all other rights a legitimate user has). In this scenario, costs connected to delivering said copy to you would be nearly zero, and if this would be properly reflected in the price then the product would be noticeably cheaper, which should make more people buy it.
Another personal problem of mine is needing to interact with people I don’t know in order to buy something, when such an interaction is not required to download a pirated copy. I think shyness could be redefined with me in mind… I can express exactly what I think and act the way I really am if I stick to just writing on-line, but try any other means of contacting a person I don’t already feel close to and… Won’t work. And as purchasing a program means either going to a shop and picking it up or ordering on-line, confirming by phone and then having it delivered by somebody, problem. (Yah, all orders were made by parents for me.)
And, I’ll put this at the end because it’s extremely important and this way it’s more likely to stick, using pirated software IS NOT STEALING! A better way of putting it would be that purchasing software legally is a recognition of producers’ merits.
Stealing is taking somebody’s bike. You then have a bike and the victim no longer has one. If you use pirated software, the producer (actually, unfortunately, the distributor) still holds the rights, is still able to sell it to others who wish to buy it. And they can’t even claim loss of potential income, as for that they’d need to be able to prove that those who use pirated copies would have purchased them if this option wouldn’t have been available.
I focused on software because, with few exceptions (like sports games, which can also count on some revenue from the ads included), sales are the only source of income for software developers. In case of music you have concerts. In case of movies you have theatres. And in both of these cases you also have TV broadcasts and a huge potential for attracting revenue from advertising and sponsorships. Therefore I unconditionally support sticking to pirated music and movies at home and just paying when you go to a concert or a movie theater, they earn enough as it is!
