Animation Source Forums

Do you think software piracy is wrong? Even if it is borrowed from a friend and for personal use?

There is a explanation to the definition of what software piracy is at http://www.bsa.org/usa/antipiracy/Types-of-Piracy.cfm

Also, for the incorrect assumption of "if I bought it from someone who stole it then I legally own it," please refer to this link;
http://bsadefense.com/resources-licensing-faq.asp

I don't know what to say,but if you say "softwares" ; Like Programs,indeed it is,since pirating Softwares is illegal..
Unless you use it for private mathers,like for your own,and not making copies,and selling them all arround.

They overprice that stuff. I would do it quite a number of times, even tho I prefer to buy it myself. But many of us can't afford it anyway. The way *I* see it tho, and seems pretty fricken logical, if you don't profit money off it (IE making copies and selling them) then there's no harm done. None. Any company that profits by selling one kind of software ALWAYS profits in selling other things. If they just sold one kind of thing, well then, they're not going about the "business" thing all too well, now, are they? A company can't survive selling one product alone. It doesn't work. Eventually they need to expand in order to keep up with everyone else. But the point is, stealing one thing and not profiting from it in any way is not going to hurt anything as big as a software company.

EDITED: Even if you bought it from someone else who stole it, you yourself are buying it fair and square.

It IS wrong but that doesn't stop my mom from doing it. She did buy the original Windows XP but she made a copy of it in case she lost it and to use it for the other computer. I think it's okay, we're not selling it, it's just in case we loose the original copy. [Which we will, we loose everything]

Cat you do know that the store itself sets the price. The store buys the software at a discounted price because it buys in bulk, they then find out what the market will accept to pay then charge the price. So you are not only stealing from the software maker but also what ever store that sells it.

It is wrong and it's stealing which is breaking a law.

No, it's often nessessary if you, for example, want games like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on your PC. I sure do wish that I knew how to do it. I could steal Super Granny and put it on my Cube...

It's stealing what ever way you look at it. I might as well go steal a Limo because they're to expensive for me to buy ^^

At the same time i'm not saying I'm an angel when it comes to the copyright laws but trying to justify what is clearly stealing is wrong.

It's not wrong, especially if for personal use.

It IS wrong. No matter the circumstances! Theft is theft is theft. What in the world do you think people buy software for in the first place?!? Just to re-sell it? Some, maybe. But most buy it FOR PERSONAL USE. According to your reasoning, it's not wrong even if it ISN'T for personal use, and that's just stupid.

I find it so interesting that, on other parts of this forum, people who do fan art spend a great deal of time complaining about art theft. Some of those artists have posted here (and at least one of them has indicated that she sees no problem with it, using the reasoning that the software companies make money anyway). From where I'm standing, given their argument, I see a serious contradiction. Except for those who actually are making money off of their art, who I take it are very few, because most are working on an amateur level. And as I see it, that art theft argument is negated by any artist who says that software piracy is okay when it is "for personal use only".

Piney beat me to the punch. But yes Stealing art is bad as is all stealing but stealing software, that's taking money out of someone's pockets.

I've looked it up, the industry has lost a conciterable amount of money from software piracy.

I'm sure I couldnt go out and steal a Mercedes Benz and when I get cought say well they price them too high so I can't buy one, or they sell alot of cars they can make it back. Even I'm just using it for myself wont work.

Bottom line it's stealing and we all should know this by now but stealing is WRONG!

Let's read someone's sentence all the way through next time before we make accusations, dear Piney Yes, it WOULD be stealing if we sold our copies after copying them, but not if we KEEP THE COPIES for OURSELVES after making them. You see, when you sell copies, it's stealing. When you keep copies, it's not. It's quite simple if you think about it, isn't it?

No it's not simple. Even if you keep it for yourself it's still stealing.