What is your opinion on using cracks, keygens and serials to get full versions free? Is is really theft?

Question

- Wikipedia.com says that theft is the illegal taking of someone else's property without that person's consent.
- Answers.com says that taking is the act of someone who picks up or takes something. An example of taking would be, me taking $20 from my friend, resulting in my being $20 ritcher, and my friend $20 poorer.
- Because software is not an object, but simple data that can be multiplied to infinitum, if I were to copy something, and then use it as if it were mine, the person that I copied it from has no loss. If this is considered stealing, that would mean that every copy has an individual value. Does that mean that I could copy Limewire Pro into seperate folders 10,000 times and become a millionaire?
- Microsoft wont go out of buisness by me getting Office for free, neither will Zone Labs by getting ZA Security Suite for free. Its the same thing with music, why is everyone going so crazy because of this? If were not selling it, why dont they leave us alone?

Replying to torskie, if I were to go into your house and copy your TV, just as you said, I would have a TV and so would you. You lose no money, nor do I :) If I were to copy your car, and use it as my own, you have your car, and so do I, no losses, nothing but gains. I dont really see what the problem is.

Replying to extremelyradicalman, if the lady from down the street were to use my name, and buy stuff using it, she is most likely using my credit card, or debit card. Thats is a loss in my side, and a gain on hers, hence the word theft.

Replying to i1patrick, if the writers are going to lose money, or get fired, then the same would have happened if I hadn't "copied" the program at all.

Replying to scott, the fact that they would have not gotten money anyway is very relevent. Plus, I am talking about it being right and wrong by nature, not by law.

Replying to Silly chick, you say that hey using a keygen to get Microsoft Office gives them a loss of $150 or so. If I get an unpaid copy of Microsoft Office 2003 from isoHunt, and install the serial, the $100,000,000,000 or so Microsoft Co. doesn't have $99,999,999,850 now, their still just as ritch. The never lose any money, just like they never gain it.

Answer 1

Being a musician, I have thought about this alot. People for centuries didn't have record labels, etc... They were basically work for hire. now with the advent of intellectual property, things have definitely changed.

I think it is bad to copy something that could have been sold. If someone copies all of my songs and i never get paid for my song, then i feel cheated. I feel this way if you copy and burn a song, or software, etc.. for a friend that would have otherwise paid for it. If they want my music they should pay for it individually. If not, I hear taxidermy is a good profession (maybe i'll try that!)!

Also, i feel it should be OK to have a backup copy of anything digital in case your original digital media should fail.

Some people look at software like a book. They think you should only have the software program on one computer and then if you want to move it to your laptop, then you should buy an additional license. I disagree with that. I think if you own the software, just like a CD, you should be able to play it in all of your computers. You are the owner of that media at that point regardless of the unit that you use to play it.

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Keep in mind that even though software is data it should be considered property. Like your name is not a physical object but it is yours. If some lady down the street starts using your last name to buy stuff in the shopping mall, then she is using your name without your permission. That is similar to taking the Lord's name in vain.

To be honest, i really have made my mind up so hard as to morally call it 'stealing'.

Good luck in your quest to clear your conscience. We all know that is what you are REALLY doing! LOL

Answer 2

You state that if you copy something that "the person that I copied it from has no loss". This is where your argument falls apart. Of course they have a loss--they lost revenue because you didn't buy it.

I know you're going to say, "but, but , but I would not buy it anyway, so they were never going to get the revenue." That's really irrelevant. Every piece of software has a license. When you use the software you agree to abide by the license. If you refuse to abide by it, you must not use the software. Simple as that.

Edited to respond to your response above:

You're not getting it. The fact that you were not going to buy the item in any case is irrelevant, as I originally said. The relevant fact is that they did not give you permission to copy it. In fact, they expressly forbade you from copying it.

You can post all the silly examples you want, but it doesn't matter. If you could magically copy my car, and if I were willing to let you do it for a price but not for free, but you did it anyway then you are in the wrong. It is my car. You have no rights to it except as I give them to you.

Answer 3

Yeah, it is really theft. If it were just you and a friend sharing serials, that would be one thing. But most of these are found on crack sites, and thousands of people every day get them for free. So they won't go out of business, but they do lose money. And every dollar they lose is a dollar they pass right on to US (the consumer).

Also, be careful, those sites have TONS of viruses on them.

Really, I think it's all crap because there's no WAY in hell I'm paying $900 for Adobe's Web developing software. Maybe if they charged decent prices, everybody wouldn't feel the need to steal them.

Answer 4

As long as we are mentioning "keys", consider this analogy:
If someone was able to "jimmy" the lock on your home's door, pick the lock, or oherwise break in, do they have the right to posess the home's contents?

How about a car? After all, it is apparently left abandoned all night on the street.

If I buy a book, can I then copy it and resell it?

Why is it so hard to understand that cracks and copies of software, videos and music are stealing?
I think you understand

Answer 5

It's only losing them money if you would buy the software if you couldn't find the keygen. For instance, you'd need Word even if you had to pay for it so... if you got it for free, they just lost $150 or so.

BTW, I need a key code for office 2003 professional. :D Thanks.

Answer 6

NEWS FLASH: The company who publishes the software still has to pay its employees to write it!!! Those employees are regular people like you and me who do NOT deserve to have their work stolen by you. If you are going to use software, you should pay for it. PERIOD!

Answer 7

Dont be a fool! Consider the fact the the sites are put up by crackers!

Answer 8

It is definitely theft.