piracy

[HOBBIT]

what is your opinion on piracy?

By that i mean making copies of DVDs, CDs, games, downloading songs "illegally," downloading movies, programs illegally.

Does anyone do any or all of these? Has anyone actually never done any of those that i listed above?

I just started this topic to see what everyones' thoughts are on this sort of stuff.

My opinion is that as long as you don't make copies to sell or download a program illegally to create things that you will be paid for, it isn't that bad.

It all started with Napster back in 1999 with the sharing of mp3s. Now practically every teen I know downloads songs, makes copies of DVDs, makes copies of borrowed CDs, etc via Kazaa, Torrent, limewire, etc.

After some other people have posted (if there is any interest), I will post some more of my opinions on the subject

[katya]

I used to download stuff from Kazaa all the time, but now I don't. It just didn't seem healthy for my computer. I don't think there was anything wrong with what I was doing. I'm into a lot of weird things like j-pop that I just can't find in the store. And, I can't hear it on the radio. How else will I know if I like something? Let it be noted that probably half the songs I downloaded and like, I bought the CD of later. And the rest, I wouldn't have bought anyway. Downloading songs is only to "tide me over" till I can afford the real thing.
Also, I download a lot of manga scanlations. Most, if not all of these, are/were not licensed in English yet, so the scans were as best as I could get.

[Shelob's Hubby]

I download games and stuff, but I don't think that there is any problem with downloading anything or burning CDs as long as you don't sell them.

[Sister Golden Hair]

Which brings me to serial cracks. What about them? There are a ton of sites on the web that provide cracks for games and other programs. They are even copy righted sites. I think that's funny.

[dawningoftime]

My I have downloaded stuff illegally, but most of the time I will go out and buy the album and then get the illegal stuff off of my computer. The other thing is there are artists I like,but you can't buy their stuff in stores anymore and the group has disbanded, so if I can download that...I will.

[Telcontar_Dunedain]

I used to down load music from Limewire but now i buy CD's.

[Nurvingiel]

I am all for piracy, as long as you don't profit from this action.

I download music and movies. You can record a song off the radio, and you can tape episodes of your favourite TV program. Yet somehow it's illegal to obtain the same information from a different media, namely the internet?

The real piracy is the record companies that seem to hold sway over lawmakers in some countries. Pissing and moaning about "stealing from the artist" is just an excuse to slap that lame tax on blank CDs and tapes, and to continue to sell overpriced CDs to the general population.

This ultimately hurts the artists, because the internet is an extremely effective promotion tool. Bands I've discovered on the internet, whose CDs I now either own or wish to buy include: Nightwish, Blind Guardian, Goldfinger and AFI, among others.

Avast matey, there be mp3s off the starboard bow, yarr!

[Millane]

i tend to buy music that i like rather than download it, also the same with dvds and i buy a lot of dvd's. Umm i have nothing against getting them illegally but i prefer to own them, of course if theres a movie thats not out at the cinema or its not out on dvd yet ill watch a burnt dvd, the cinema should be happy with the money that sap out of me
no moral objections from me

[brownjenkins]

drink up me'earties, yo ho ho a pirate's life for me!

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

Originally Posted by Nurvingiel

I download music and movies. You can record a song off the radio, and you can tape episodes of your favourite TV program. Yet somehow it's illegal to obtain the same information from a different media, namely the internet?

in UK it is technically illegal to tape summat off a der radio!
but we all do it anyway

i see nothing wrong with pirated tapes/dvds/videos/cds, so long as there is no profit involved, to be honest, i would support anyone who deliberately tries to screw the establishment over!!

[Valaru]

I realize it is wrong

but I still do it.

[Nurvingiel]

Originally Posted by Sister Golden Hair

Which brings me to serial cracks. What about them? There are a ton of sites on the web that provide cracks for games and other programs. They are even copy righted sites. I think that's funny.

What's a serial crack SGH?

This reminds me of pirated software. I don't have any real problem with this either. I would be a lot more inclined to buy software if it wasn't so expensive.

[Arat-Falathion]

I do not support copyright infringement of others software products, dvds, etc. It is just as illegal as stealing a car. Think of those who have worked for years on that product you have stolen... Piracy is one of the reasons why software is so expensive as well, and why the production of such a product is longer than it should have to be. They spend months creating copyright protections (that seldom works anyway)

It is no less criminal than stealing a car.

[Nurvingiel]

I essentially agree with you about software. It's a "Catch-22" situation. Piracy will be high if the price is high, but companies can't afford to lower the price if people aren't buying it.

About DVDs, why is it wrong to rip a DVD? How is this different from taping a movie off TV? The only reason why I don't like people copying video tapes is because it damages the tape - this is not the case for DVDs.

Thanks for adding your opinion, I'm glad there's someone who isn't in complete agreement with all the previous posters - it makes the thread more exciting.

[Telcontar_Dunedain]

Originally Posted by Last Child of Ungoliant

in UK it is technically illegal to tape summat off a der radio!
but we all do it anyway

Which is stupid, as seen you can listen to most radio programs on their own website now.

[Earniel]

I have downloaded some music, but never to avoid having to pay for a CD. This is the extent of my illegal internet actions. What I download I would just as happily record on tape from the radio, if they would only play it entirely. I've downloaded a few songs for my dad, which were songs he was never able to tape on the radio or find on CD. Some are as old as me and he was glad to be able to hear them again after so many years. I know that doesn't make it anymore legal, though.

But I have never made copies of DVDs, programmes or downloaded movies, frankly I don't see the need. If I can buy it, I will, even though some of it is bloody expensive so that I may have to safe for it a while. I prefer legal copies because they're most of the time safer than home made illegal copies.

Edit: As for piracy, I think it is a sign of the times. Not that that's a justification either. While it can cost artists and programmers a lot of money I don't you can completely erradicate it (or should do so). I think the efforts to let music be bought through the internet are a good idea and if I could, I might consider it, but I don't think it will fight piracy much - it only encourages people, who didn't want to download songs because it was illegal, to download now.

[katya]

You know, it's funny. People talk about downloading taking money away from the artists. And I jsut thought ot myself, "Whatever man. It can't be that much money, and the artists are probably doing ok without it. It's an art; they can't expect to get rich of an art anyway...etc. etc." But I never thought I would be the victim! I had a garage sale over labour day weekend. I was selling my old CDs for 75 cents each. 75 cents! Pretty cheap, for a full-lengthed CD, right? Well this girl come in, and picks up a CD with a song she likes on it. And she said to her mom, "Well, there's only one song I like on here, and I can download it for only 50 cents." And she didn't buy the real copy, with all the original art, etc. because of the difference of a quarter. I don't get it.

[HOBBIT]

Originally Posted by Arat-Falathion

I do not support copyright infringement of others software products, dvds, etc. It is just as illegal as stealing a car. Think of those who have worked for years on that product you have stolen... Piracy is one of the reasons why software is so expensive as well, and why the production of such a product is longer than it should have to be. They spend months creating copyright protections (that seldom works anyway)

It is no less criminal than stealing a car.

It is very less criminal than stealing a car. It is the difference between jay walking or speeding or something and commiting a crime or robbing a bank.

DVD copying/downloading episodes and movies:
You can record tv episodes and movies off of tv using a VCR to VHS tapes and now you can even record to hard drives and DVD-Rs. So how wrong is it to make copies of DVDs and/or download tv episodes and movies from the net?

It seems to be the new trend to take DVDs from blockbuster, hollywood, or netflix and make copies of all of them. Safe to say that 97% of all ppl with DVD burners burn copies of DVDs. Friends trade DVDs and make copies.

Now making like 60 copies in one month is excessive, but if you only make a couple a month I think that that is fine.

I have been borrowing DVD sets of different TV shows that I like from a friend and then making copies. Why not? I could have just taped them from the tv.

Same - even more so - with downloading TV episodes from the net - instead of having the episode on VHS you have it in asf, avi, or wmv format.

I also made a copy of a DVD movie that I already own on VHS (but not on DVD) - so it's like I already paid for it. I also saw that movie several times in the theater, bought lots of it's merchandise, etc.

Bottom Line: I think making the occasional copy of a DVD is ok and all copying of TV Episodes is fine, and movies that you already own in a different media.

If I really like something or want something, I will actually buy it. Like I was contemplating copying the SW trilogy DVD set - but I actually bought it.

Downloading Music and Copying CDs
I am absolutely ok with this.

Things such as Napster and Kazaa have introduced me to so many different groups and styles of music.

BECAUSE OF ILLEGAL DOWNLOADING, I have bought at least a dozen CDs from newly discovered artists and I have gone to several concerts that I otherwise would not have gone to.

File sharing music brings exposure to new artists. Fact.

I usually buy the actual CD albums of artists I enjoy.

Kazaa is great for songs that you cannot buy on CD - I have downloaded about 50 of these.

This really shouldn't be illegal.

I also find it ok to burn copies of CDs, as long as it is just for personal use.

It is no different than recording songs from the radio onto tapes and then making copies of those tapes.

Serial Cracks - programs that crack the serial code. Like you can download a trial program that will stop working in a week or a month or whatever, then get the crack for it so that it works. You can also download programs that produce a working serial code for you for many programs..

[HOBBIT]

Why do you think all this piracy is going on? It does seem like a majority of people agree with it. What should be done? I think the price of CDs should go down, price of DVDs should go down, price of softwear should go down.

[brownjenkins]

i think it's mostly the middleman that will get squeezed... some of the best musicians write for the pure pleasure of it, and they can still make good money performing... not millions, but a decent living... which might be better anyway... ever wonder why most band's first albums are so good? or why some of the best music comes from "indie artists"... i think a part of it is that they have more incentive then the ones who are "set for life" after a hit or two... i see many bands now who actually release songs for free as advertising... they can still perform, sell tee shirts, license their tunes to budweiser ads

the same is true of software... almost anything can be found as freeware, open source, or shareware these days... and there is still plenty of money to be made from support, education and installation/personalization of software for large corporations

so in the end, the creator still get's his profits... it's just the marketers and distributors who have to find a new living... the free market at it's best