What is Digg?131 Comments
- Pic0, on 10/11/2007, -3/+150who wants to buy photoshop to put a friend's head on yoda every few weeks
- Travisty2012, on 10/11/2007, -8/+153It also doesn't make sense the way they calculate it.
Hypothetical situation; I have a pirated copy of Photoshop CS3 on my computer. The industry will count this as a $649 loss. However, I would never spend that much on Photoshop and if I was unable to pirate it I would use some crappy free program since I only use it to do minor things a couple times a month.
Now, if I made a living with it I would obviously purchase it... - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -10/+104I bet that this graph is not accurate.
- M4tt3r, on 10/11/2007, -4/+80@famemoney
Yaaarrrr, thar graph is only as accurrrate as thar imforrrmation ye put in. So, it be accurate.
It be the numberrrs which don't smell right. Arrrr. - tmaiden, on 10/11/2007, -1/+67And I thought with my computer alone, US would have made the list.
- pjbrown88, on 10/11/2007, -1/+48Because we all know that Azerbaijan is the biggest threat to corporations the world has ever seen...
- toonworld, on 10/11/2007, -2/+46Somehow, I'm a bit disappointed that my county isn't on that list :'(
- Prysorra, on 10/11/2007, -2/+44"and cost the industry $39.6 billion"
In other words, saved the consumers $39.6 billion. - shakin, on 10/11/2007, -2/+35Not only aren't they losing money from you, they are benefiting by having somebody learn their software. Now if you get a job where you need to do some photo editing you will request Photoshop because it's the one you know and Adobe will get a sale. If you couldn't pirate Photoshop and instead learned The GIMP you would likely just install that at work because you know how to use it to get the job done.
Most expensive business software works the same way. Nobody would ever buy it for casual home use, but at work they choose to buy what they've already learned. - tmaiden, on 10/11/2007, -3/+28I bet the software used to make that graph was pirated.
- kryptonite514, on 11/10/2007, -0/+21I'm sure that graph is horribly inaccurate. It's also inaccurate to assume that if I have Adobe Photoshop pirated on my computer Adobe is losing that revenue. If it wasn't possible for me to pirate their software I still wouldn't buy it, so they really aren't losing any money from me.
- arnar, on 10/11/2007, -1/+21My country (Iceland) somehow seems out of place among the others.. but I can well believe that we come in second. We're certainly not cash-strapped.
In any case, Iceland is usually at the top or bottom of any list that is "per-capita" or similar, for obvious reasons. - solemnraven, on 10/11/2007, -0/+18the blinking skull means "WE MEAN BUSINESS!"
- Fingerbob, on 10/11/2007, -1/+16a copy of a commercial software program does not equal a lost sale of said program.
spurious graphs are always improved by use of pictures of the jolly roger. - soogy, on 10/11/2007, -4/+19Exactly, travisty2012. It irritates me so much when companies spout out all of this ***** (especially the movie industry (over the past four weeks, the top three films at the box office ALONE have earned $1,465,003,429 worldwide). The fact of the matter is that if people wanted to pay for software, they'd do it.
If people could not pirate Photoshop CS3, do you know what they'd be doing? Downloading GIMP, Inkscape, or some other free software (they are, by the way, excellent alternatives to commercial software).
The people who PAY for Photoshop (and other such software) are the people who can afford it (read: people who use it to make money). Those who use it for fun should use free software which works just as well for your needs. - SteveMax, on 10/11/2007, -1/+14And I bet you're an ignorant, arrogant bastard and you don't matter.
- yenster, on 10/11/2007, -1/+12@oriondarkwood
But with good behavior, you'd probably get out in only 28,000 years. - perryge, on 10/11/2007, -0/+11How would they have come across these figures? I mean, how do they know how much pirated software is on each computer? It's not as if they have a database of everything that's on everyone's computer, nor do they go around asking everyone, do they? And surely a random sample wouldn't be accurate in this case...
It would have been nice for there to have been some methodology included with the results. - Solkre, on 10/11/2007, -1/+12It's the same BS where the RIAA thinks every swapped song is lost revenue. People aren't able to afford these products (Photoshop) or don't believe it's worth the cost (Windows); but because it's digital and very easy to copy and share they aren't forced to look for free alternatives.
If we could control digital media as well as physical products in B&M stores you'd see a much larger Open-Source community and applications. - acomj, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8I disagree..
There is a point at which people will pirate software they wouldn't buy, clearly this is the case.
There are those who decide they got it for free, they like it and they just don't buy it. So there is some loss incured. Is that loss greater than the free promotional value? I'd say yes.
Software is a funny business, the first copy cost a ton to make (development), the next one cost almost nothing (duplication). Volume is everything (see microsoft profits). However the cost of software packages doesn't drop over time to reflect that economic reality. Its almost as if the economic system doesn't handle it well.
I've seen a lot of pirated software around the world, it always strikes me as odd the selection available (who is buying autocad or maya off the street? Seriously business apps that have no entertainment value to the consumer)
I was told to put away my camera after this shot.
http://www.plocp.com/images/vista_MG_3800.jpg - Spuy767, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8I love how those ***** gobblers at the BSA say that it "cost" the industry a certain amount. When a business pirates software, it may cost the industry a certain amount, but I assure you, that 99.5% of people who download a shady copy of photoshop, would never in a million years been able to cough up the 1500$ for CS3. They inflate the numbers to make it sound like it's a big problem to get a lobby behind them, but it's all *****. The figure is maybe a tenth what they claim, and that's cause I'm being generous.
@ Vanarothiel: You get photoshop because you want top superimpose a dick on your teacher's head, why else. You just got it to ***** around, but no way would you ever have dropped real money on it, cause you need things like food more. - niczar, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7My work computer has negative $100 of pirated software -- Microsoft owes me money for the copy of Vista it was shipped with, that I replaced with Linux as soon as I received it.
- tehpyro, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8I love how canada is always free and clear! We average at the most computers per household in the world and everything is pirated here and no one ever says a word! Mind you I do buy all of my software or go open source (Yay! Open source world!!) but I'm just saying how funny it is!
- oriondarkwood, on 10/11/2007, -1/+7@tmaiden
I know I have thrown out more pirated stuff than some people pirate in thier lifetimes.. I think I fiqured it up one time and I think if I got the max penalty for each piece of pirated software, movies, games,pdf's, comics, pictures, etc.. etc.. I would owe around 2 billion dollars and have about 35,000 years in jail.. - nreisan, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6blatent crap FUD from them makes me lol
not software piracy
if they had remotely accurate way of telling who had what pirated software on their computer, there would be a lot more people getting ***** over. - bolocholo, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6i energically protest the use of the word "steal" on the act of digital file sharing
- init100, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4@ACrazyGerman
"Why don't you just get the free one and avoid getting in trouble all together?"
Maybe because you don't get in trouble for pirating software? Sure a few flagrant cases are brought too court to make an example of, but most people (in my jurisdiction at least) figure that the risk of getting sued is infinitesimal (smaller than tiny).
@perryge
"How would they have come across these figures? I mean, how do they know how much pirated software is on each computer? It's not as if they have a database of everything that's on everyone's computer, nor do they go around asking everyone, do they?"
They make up an "average" number of commercial applications that the "average" computer owner has on their computer, multiply by the number of computers sold, and then subtract the number of applications sold. The rest is claimed to be lost to "piracy". This also means that people using free software are counted as "pirates". But I guess that is part of the agenda. - pailsOfGrease, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4@arnar
Icelandic pirates are diamond thieves in a world of shoplifters ;) - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5I agree. I know most of the expensive software on my machine is illegal, so I have no qualms with the law, but they can't pretend it is costing them money.
- synapticcleft, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4I hate when they assume that every piece of pirated software on a computer accounts for lost sales. That is nonesense and is only used to inflate the "problem". I would also argue that pirates are some of the most sophisticated computer users, who have lots of people asking them for advice in terms of software and games and they are in a position to offer their valuable advice, thereby leading to potential sales.
- bmson, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Iceland is the odd one out :/
Iceland is on of the wealthiest nations in the world and Icelandic homes have on of the highest incomes in the world.
So it's not about money.
We have the highest broad band penetration in the world and 89% of households have computers, 84% have Internet access and 9/10 of these homes have adsl (or another dsl connection).
It's easy to steal software when you have high speed Internet and the knowledge.
But I think it has more to do with our society.
We are ultra-modern and like innovative thing, but we are an Island and Iceland is not on the top of tech companies list to release new products and services.
We don't have iTMS but a lot of Icelanders use the US iTunes, we use the s store on xbox 360 and ps3 (that illegal).
We like our stuff now and if we don't get it now, we will steal it :/
But I could be totally wrong...
Maybe we've just dominating viking DNA and like to rob thins :D - Kwipper, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Come on! We are not even on this list!? Man that sucks. Come on USA, lets get going here and pirate more stuff!
- billizm, on 10/11/2007, -1/+475% of statistics are made up.
- Cerialthriller, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5I've never pirated anything that I would pay for if i had to. And a few things I have bought after I pirated it, so they actually gained sales if you ask me. I wouldn't have bought it if I hadn't tried it first.
- arnar, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5I'm quite sure that Adobe (and others) fully realize this. They could easily put in great extra measures to prevent key- and activation-code generators from working - but they don't. It's still illegal of course to steal the software .. but they don't go after home-users using their apps for non-profit work as hard as they could, exactly because they know that it's ultimately in their advantage.
It's wrong thought that you're "not pirating" because you wouldn't have bought it otherwise... it's still stealing. - Crispin, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3The BSA's numbers have always been suspect.
- SenorFrog21, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4I hear what you are saying, and I don't disagree that the theft of physical goods and data is different.
But are you really trying to say that just because you download something you aren't stealing it? If you walk into Best Buy and steal a PSP game off the shelf or you simply sit at your computer and download a copy of the same game...either way you are playing a game that you didn't pay for. How can people justify the latter just because they didn't physically steal a UMD disk? - jimmiss, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Yeah I know what you mean. The problem with their math is, there is NO damn way I'd buy every Photoshop version as it came out, just because once a year I like to remove a smudge from some picture, or try to make a cool wallpaper every six months. Actually, I never would have heard of photoshop if you couldn't crack it, and no one I've ever met would have ever heard of it eigther. The verb 'to photoshop' something would not exist, because basically no one outside of graphic designers would have heard of it.
- IamTheProfessor, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Go Iceland! Go for the GOLD!
- thcobbs, on 10/11/2007, -4/+7Hell, if you have a pirated OS like XP or Vista, you'd beat those easily.
- dsmx, on 10/11/2007, -3/+5How many times must I repeat this piracy of software or anything for that matter costs the respective industries nothing. People who get pirated materials would not of paid the full price for the product there after in the first place, or some people download a pirated version to see if it is worth getting a real version. Bottom line is that people will pay for content they think is worth it, if people pirate your product it because they either seeing if it's worth getting, think your charging to much for it or would of never paid for your product ever.
- yaosio, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Their numbers assume that if somebody had not pirated the software, they would have bought it.
- Caerbannog, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Stupid rhetoric about "losses" due to piracy ticks me off... Most of the so-called losses aren't losses at all, but instances in which the person using the pirated software never would have bought it anyway.
- funkydopeloven, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2there was an article a week or 2 back about that very thing,http://www.mises.org/story/2590
- nreisan, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2their making assumptions not only on how much pirated software people have, but also assuming that users NEED this pirated material and would buy it otherwise, what they fail to relise is that most people dont need *insert adobe program* *insert CAD* *insert office program* they will do without or use a free alternative, in some cases yes people would buy it, but to assume it for all is tsk tsk tsk
you know the saying
"Assumptions are the mother of all *****" - Travelsonic, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2"I agree. Out of curiosity, though, is it fair to take another person's photographs and put your name on it and claim it is yours? Suppose you do that on a host with no ads. You get no profit, that person loses nothing tangible, and if you couldn't have done it, you would not have done it. Or someone else's article, you put it up on your site with your name at the end, no ads, that person loses nothing tangible. Would that be fair then?"
Of course not, but isn't the comparison of pirated software and plagiarism apples to oranges, at least to some degree? - Cerialthriller, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2i downloaded autocad and inventor while i was in school learning them cuz the school was teaching on out-dated versions so i had to teach myself the new features. Inventor provides that same amount of entertainment value as photoshop if you know how to use it even though its a business app.
- Sendss, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Saying "we lost $X" is bogus because they assume that people would have otherwise bought the software. In most cases that just isn't true.
- TheRingo, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2@ kevincannon
"I know it's wrong, but not in the same way they say it is, therefore it doesn't bother me" would be more accurate as far as I can see. I think most people will agree that pirating software is at least slightly morally objectionable, but not enough so as to prevent them from doing it. I know it's wrong, I simply don't care because, as many people have pointed out, the best reason for not doing it (i.e. cheating the company that makes my precious software out of revenue, a.k.a. the only reason that would cause me to stop) is basically invalid. - dark2025, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2The way they calculate this is just plain incorrect. When I obtain a pirated application / game, it's because of several reasons: I don't care enough for the program to be buying it (I'll take it if it's there, but I won't pay for it, and I don't care if I don't really get it); it's way too expensive for me to buy and I'd rather go with a free alternative if I didn't have access to the program; I'll use the pirate version as a demo (I've actually been impressed enough to buy programs that I thought I wouldn't after using a pirated version); I'll just use the pirated one until I can afford to buy the real program; and probably more reasons too, but for programs that I absolutely want and enjoy, I always buy; same with movies, I'd download the ones I won't want to see anyway, and again, I'd buy it if I actually am impressed enough with it.
Sure I know a lot of people who have access and use pirated software/movies, in fact I have a full binder of bootlegged DVDs, but it's because I'm not expecting to be buying them anyway, although they would claim that they lost hundreds of dollars in lost revenue, which is simply untrue. If anything, my downloading everything that comes along might even help their business since I'm constantly finding new things that are buy-worthy that otherwise I would never have touched. Plus I'm stimulating the rest of the economy by employing hard drive manufactures, blank CD/DVD makers, software protection people, internet provider, and my downloading service. -
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