do you believe that software piracy is a serious issue?

Question

or does it help poor people expirience what rich poeple can only afford?

Answer 1

I believe software developers should get paid for their work.

Answer 2

From the number of questions in this forum about how to get any kind of "free" software, I'd have to say software piracy is a serious issue. The issue is, and always has been, someone makes the software, and someone else tries to steal it. That's what software piracy is, just plain theft. It doesn't have a darn thing to do with "rich people." I'm sure as heck not rich, I'm retired and live on a strict budget. But I don't steal and don't encourage others to do so. I pay for my software, why can't you and others? Do you have a job? Even if it's minimum wage, you make more than I do.

Answer 3

I think Lucee said it well. Looking at this forum it's obvious that piracy is a huge problem. If you look at the software industry you'll see that they are facing financial problems that are caused at least in part by piracy. Programmers are losing their jobs and development is being cut or shipped overseas where it's cheaper. Software piracy is stealing, and being poor is no excuse. In fact, it's even more frustrating because there are plenty of free, open source alternatives available, but pirates apparently think they are too good to use the stuff that it legal and free. They want to run Vista and Photoshop and won't even try Linux and the Gimp, which certainly makes them appear to be stupid, greedy and lazy, as opposed to simply poor. This hurts everyone. It hurts all of the people who work for the software companies, because they lose money or their jobs. It hurts people who purchase the product legally because it drives the prices up. It hurts the open source movement because people are stealing commercial software instead of using open source software, which holds back the development of OSS. Everybody loses because some people are greedy and feel they are somehow owed thousands of dollars in free stuff. They are no different than any other criminals.

Answer 4

I don't think that being rich or poor makes that much of a difference. I believe that programs should be free just like going to the library.
As far as it being a problem it all depends on who you talk to. Some software programmers think that it is a big issue because they aren't getting all the dollars.
For others that really can't afford the programs piracy is like Manna from Heaven.

Answer 5

I don't think that being rich or poor makes that much of a difference. I believe that programs should be free just like going to the library.
As far as it being a problem it all depends on who you talk to. Some software programmers think that it is a big issue because they aren't getting all the dollars.
For others that really can't afford the programs piracy is like Manna from Heaven.

Answer 6

It is a problem, but the prices asked for the software is a much bigger problem. If software cost $20 MAX people would feel a lot better buying it legitimately. It's often the people who license the software who make most of the money, not the people who wrote it, however.

Answer 7

yes... because people work hard to make these softwares and some take this for granted by distributing them illegally. it's also unfair for those who buy the softwares legally

Answer 8

no simply because I believe that the only people that should pay for software are commercial organisations as applying the same costs to home and commercial users is just plain exploitative and it is only by microsoft's dominance in the operating system market that has allowed this business model to survive.

Answer 9

You will know how Serious it is if you are a software developer.

Answer 10

If no one ever copied a Microsoft program, then no one would have ever heard of Bill Gates.