What Is Piracy And What Isn't?

[Cirevam]

http://funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/1046677/PIRACY/

[Sonic322]

Image fail.

[Cyrem]

With software...It's different.

LOL. So what your saying is it would be fine to walk out of a shop with a game you didn't pay for (at that time) simply because you bought a copy a while ago?

Just like a car, just because you own a license to drive them doesn't mean you get free cars, or just have to buy a car once and get unlimited cars after that... No, you must buy every car that you drive regardless of whether you have a license to drive one.

Go ask a software publisher.

[Addictgamer]

With software...It's different.

LOL. So what your saying is it would be fine to walk out of a shop with a game you didn't pay for (at that time) simply because you bought a copy a while ago?

Just like a car, just because you own a license to drive them doesn't mean you get free cars, or just have to buy a car once and get unlimited cars after that... No, you must buy every car that you drive regardless of whether you have a license to drive one.

Go ask a software publisher.

Course you can't. You have to buy the resources used in the case, the disk, etc.

But the question needs to be answered - When you buy software, what are you actually buying?

If you're buying the rights to use the software, you should be able to torrent the software as many times as you like afterwards.

If you're buying the rights to use that specific copy of the software, you may never torrent the software.

[Cirevam]

Cyrem, quit using physical examples to try to say that sharing intellectual property is wrong. People aren't copying and reselling LPs or CDs. They're making digital copies. You don't have to buy a physical game in order to pirate it. And in some cases, like with Steam, all you need is a license in order to redownload a game, in case you buy a new computer and don't want to buy the game again. At least that's what I've heard.

[Addictgamer]

Cyrem, quit using physical examples to try to say that sharing intellectual property is wrong. People aren't copying and reselling LPs or CDs. They're making digital copies. You don't have to buy a physical game in order to pirate it. And in some cases, like with Steam, all you need is a license in order to redownload a game, in case you buy a new computer and don't want to buy the game again. At least that's what I've heard.

From my experience with steam, you buy a game once and you can redownload it to several different computers. So, you heard correctly.

[Cyrem]

Cyrem, quit using physical examples to try to say that sharing intellectual property is wrong.

I will not. Everything is physical in this world. Even the data on discs are physical (I'm bound to get a reply about this and how I'm wrong...), my logic is undeniable.

And in some cases, like with Steam, all you need is a license in order to redownload a game

AH HA! You have found the permanent video game rental service. You see, Steam is nothing more then that. All you get from Steam is the license to play it through steam (Fun Fact: running games without steam is against the TOS if you didn't know.) and this is why you are allowed to download copies when need be.

[McJobless]

Cyrem, quit using physical examples to try to say that sharing intellectual property is wrong.

I will not. Everything is physical in this world. Even the data on discs are physical (I'm bound to get a reply about this and how I'm wrong...), my logic is undeniable.

No, you have a point. Data on a disc is phyisical if you were to get all complex about that (But that is a lesson for advanced IT speciallist, and not modders who prefer just installing the disc, making no-cd patches, then playing to hearts content).

A good question: What are you actually buying when you buy software?

The disc, the rights to play the game as set out by the EULA, and the data which is hard-coded to the disc.

[Cirevam]

my logic is undeniable.

(Fun Fact: running games without steam is against the TOS if you didn't know.)

1) Battle of the Logical C's.

2) Whoops.

[RockmoddeR]

Oh lol.

If you really wanna get all technical about piracy, put yourself in the other guy's shoes and then consider whether it's piracy or not.

[Addictgamer]

Cyrem, quit using physical examples to try to say that sharing intellectual property is wrong.

I will not. Everything is physical in this world. Even the data on discs are physical (I'm bound to get a reply about this and how I'm wrong...), my logic is undeniable.

No, you have a point. Data on a disc is phyisical if you were to get all complex about that (But that is a lesson for advanced IT speciallist, and not modders who prefer just installing the disc, making no-cd patches, then playing to hearts content).

A good question: What are you actually buying when you buy software?

The disc, the rights to play the game as set out by the EULA, and the data which is hard-coded to the disc.

1. Wrong, the data on the disk isn't physical. The disk itself and the matter that makes it up is the only physical thing about it.

2. Wrong again. You only buy the disk if you go to the store and buy it from there. If you download it from the internet (like GoG, steam, and other similar places), you're not buying the cd.

Second off, it depends on what the program itself says in the license agreement. Most times, it's how you said it is. In some very rare cases, you are buying more.

Answer to the topic's question:

Piracy is piracy depending on the specific program you are getting. Some rare license agreements allow you to download copy(s) of the software after you buy it.

Most license agreements, however, are pretty much telling you ,"If you break the cd or something, too bad. You have to buy another copy." Of course some vary a tine bit, like allowing you to make a backup or two, but the point remains.

[Sonic322]

This is how I see the data/disk problem.:

The data on a disk or a computer is both physical and non-physical at the same time.

It is non-physical like how your brain works for instances. I understand all the stuff that explains how the brain works but you can't physically measure it. so if you can't measure a thought then you can't say that it is technically physical because you can't touch a thought and so the same is for data because you can't measure data in the physical world.

It is physical because the data is engraved on the disk but it is so small that it seems like it isn't even there.

[TheDoctor]

This is how I see the data/disk problem.:

The data on a disk or a computer is both physical and non-physical at the same time.

It is non-physical like how your brain works for instances. I understand all the stuff that explains how the brain works but you can't physically measure it. so if you can't measure a thought then you can't say that it is technically physical because you can't touch a thought and so the same is for data because you can't measure data in the physical world.

It is physical because the data is engraved on the disk but it is so small that it seems like it isn't even there.

Oh dear wad. This boy needs therapy.

The data on a disk is not physical. Humans can't tell what's on a disk. Computers can. Humans don't have laser vision to read the disks with. Computers do. If you want to know how disks work, please, by all means, Google it. It doesn't matter how disks work anyways. People can sell software on flash drives and the issue would not change. I really don't care what you think you can do when you buy software. The copyright agreement is what matters. That's what tells you what you can and cannot do. You people need to learn that generally, getting things you need to pay for without paying for is stealing, ergo piracy.

If you buy a game, lose the disk, and then download it, is it still pirating?

It depends on the copyright agreement. But, then using James's logic, if you lose the disk, then you're free to dowload the game as many times as you want. If that's case, then you could go to all your friends house's and download the game, ans then "give" it to them. Like a birthday present. Now who's at fault here? I think it's the careless consumer. The thing is, if you copy the game, and then give the friend a copy, that's reproducing and distributing the game, and generally against most copyright agreements.

[Sonic322]

This is how I see the data/disk problem.:

The data on a disk or a computer is both physical and non-physical at the same time.

It is non-physical like how your brain works for instances. I understand all the stuff that explains how the brain works but you can't physically measure it. so if you can't measure a thought then you can't say that it is technically physical because you can't touch a thought and so the same is for data because you can't measure data in the physical world.

It is physical because the data is engraved on the disk but it is so small that it seems like it isn't even there.

Oh dear wad. This boy needs therapy.

The data on a disk is not physical. Humans can't tell what's on a disk. Computers can. Humans don't have laser vision to read the disks with. Computers do. If you want to know how disks work, please, by all means, Google it. It doesn't matter how disks work anyways. People can sell software on flash drives and the issue would not change. I really don't care what you think you can do when you buy software. The copyright agreement is what matters. That's what tells you what you can and cannot do. You people need to learn that generally, getting things you need to pay for without paying for is stealing, ergo piracy.

You didn't even read what I wrote did you.

All you read is "The data on a disk or a computer is both physical and non-physical at the same time." and then wrote a post stating that that is wrong with out reading the rest.

Read the whole post before posting something.

[TheDoctor]

This is how I see the data/disk problem.:

The data on a disk or a computer is both physical and non-physical at the same time.

It is non-physical like how your brain works for instances. I understand all the stuff that explains how the brain works but you can't physically measure it. so if you can't measure a thought then you can't say that it is technically physical because you can't touch a thought and so the same is for data because you can't measure data in the physical world.

It is physical because the data is engraved on the disk but it is so small that it seems like it isn't even there.

Oh dear wad. This boy needs therapy.

The data on a disk is not physical. Humans can't tell what's on a disk. Computers can. Humans don't have laser vision to read the disks with. Computers do. If you want to know how disks work, please, by all means, Google it. It doesn't matter how disks work anyways. People can sell software on flash drives and the issue would not change. I really don't care what you think you can do when you buy software. The copyright agreement is what matters. That's what tells you what you can and cannot do. You people need to learn that generally, getting things you need to pay for without paying for is stealing, ergo piracy.

You didn't even read what I wrote did you.

All you read is "The data on a disk or a computer is both physical and non-physical at the same time." and then wrote a post stating that that is wrong with out reading the rest.

Read the whole post before posting something.

I. Do. Not. Care.

The medium of which the data is on is irreverent. It's there, and its use is limited to what the copyright agreement allows you to do.

[Sonic322]

This is how I see the data/disk problem.:

The data on a disk or a computer is both physical and non-physical at the same time.

It is non-physical like how your brain works for instances. I understand all the stuff that explains how the brain works but you can't physically measure it. so if you can't measure a thought then you can't say that it is technically physical because you can't touch a thought and so the same is for data because you can't measure data in the physical world.

It is physical because the data is engraved on the disk but it is so small that it seems like it isn't even there.

Oh dear wad. This boy needs therapy.

The data on a disk is not physical. Humans can't tell what's on a disk. Computers can. Humans don't have laser vision to read the disks with. Computers do. If you want to know how disks work, please, by all means, Google it. It doesn't matter how disks work anyways. People can sell software on flash drives and the issue would not change. I really don't care what you think you can do when you buy software. The copyright agreement is what matters. That's what tells you what you can and cannot do. You people need to learn that generally, getting things you need to pay for without paying for is stealing, ergo piracy.

You didn't even read what I wrote did you.

All you read is "The data on a disk or a computer is both physical and non-physical at the same time." and then wrote a post stating that that is wrong with out reading the rest.

Read the whole post before posting something.

I do not care.

The medium of which the data is on is irreverent. It's there, and its use is limited to what the copyright agreement allows you to do.

You should care because you mistook my post stating that data is not physical for a post saying that data is physical and then you proceeded by saying I need therapy which seems to be what you need.

[Cyrem]

1) Battle of the Logical C's.

Haha.

1. Wrong, the data on the disk isn't physical. The disk itself and the matter that makes it up is the only physical thing about it.

Incorrect, if there is no physical alteration by the laser, the disc will remain blank.

The data on a disk is not physical. Humans can't tell what's on a disk. Computers can. Humans don't have laser vision to read the disks with.

As Above. Just because a human cannot read what is on the disc doesn't mean it's not physical. Thats like saying micro-organisms don't exist because humans cannot see them. However humans have developed devices such as microscopes/scanners to see them just like a computer is used to read the data on the disc so we can see it. Humans can see(un-assisted by a device) if data is burnt to a disc, this proves there has been physical alteration to a point a human can see it.

[Lair]

I don't have a single word in this mess. Oh wait, now I do...

[aLPHA]

I don't have a single word in this mess. Oh wait, now I do...

[McJobless]

Wait...did I just win? Or am I still stuck in purgatory where Lair and Doc put me last night while I was sleeping?

[Aki Dazrold]

I'm pretty sure of two things:

ONE> "Data" on a disc is actually a series of tiny indentations on the side that is read. The lazor is firin'd at the disc and if it doesn't hit a indent the lazor comes and and hits a sensor; if it does, the light scatters and the sensor picks nothing up. These two options produce your ones and zeros. therefore, data on such discs is in fact physical.

TWO> Piracy has uses. Oh boy does it have uses. If my disc breaks and something redankilous happens (warranty isn't honored, disc failed on it's own due to scratch or corrupted data etc, etc) I am going to pirate that there mess. My way of stickin it to them.

I also know of a guy who set up computers for a company, but the leaders of said company were too cheap to purchase certain software to distribute to their workers. Unfortunately for everyone the software was essential and without it the employees could not do their work. The guy I know tried to explain this to the higherups but they wouldn't listen.

Solution?

He gave all the employees a pirated version of the software to use. He then went and told the higherups that it had come to his attantion that every employee had a pirated version of the essential software, without telling them where it came from. They had a fheart attack and quickly purchased the software so they would be legal.

Intentional misspellins was intentionals.

[Sonic322]

I'm pretty sure of two things:

1) "Data" on a disk is actually a series of tiny indentations on the underside that is read. The laser is fired at the disk and if it doesn't hit an indent then the laser hits a sensor, if it does then the light scatters and the sensor picks nothing up. These two options produce your ones and zeros. Therefore, data on such disks is in fact physical.

2) Piracy has uses. Oh boy does it have uses. If my disk breaks and something ridicules happens (warranty isn't honored, disk failed on it's own due to scratch or corrupted data etc) I am going to pirate that there mess. My way of sticking it to them.

I also know of a guy who set up computers for a company, but the leaders of said company were too cheap to purchase certain software to distribute to their workers. Unfortunately for everyone the software was essential and without it the employees could not do their work. The guy I know tried to explain this to the higher-ups but they wouldn't listen.

Solution?

He gave all the employees a pirated version of the software to use. He then went and told the higher-ups that it had come to his attention that every employee had a pirated version of the essential software, without telling them where it came from. They had a heart attack and quickly purchased the software so they would be legal.

Intentional misspellings was intentional.

1) I believe you have this backwards.

2) I never thought about it that way.

Intentional corrections were intentional.

[lol username]

@LordZakida, #2 was awesome. xD

[Cyrem]

I also know of a guy who set up computers for a company, but the leaders of said company were too cheap to purchase certain software to distribute to their workers. Unfortunately for everyone the software was essential and without it the employees could not do their work. The guy I know tried to explain this to the higherups but they wouldn't listen.

I can relate. I did some work for a .. lets just say... local government group. Many of there systems had pirated copies of all different software. I know this because I had to perform backups of their systems. Whether they were aware of users installing this software, I don't know, but they are certainly not watching what their workers are putting on their computers. And them being part of the Government, doesn't make it look good.

[Aki Dazrold]

I also know of a guy who set up computers for a company, but the leaders of said company were too cheap to purchase certain software to distribute to their workers. Unfortunately for everyone the software was essential and without it the employees could not do their work. The guy I know tried to explain this to the higherups but they wouldn't listen.

I can relate. I did some work for a .. lets just say... local government group. Many of there systems had pirated copies of all different software. I know this because I had to perform backups of their systems. Whether they were aware of users installing this software, I don't know, but they are certainly not watching what their workers are putting on their computers. And them being part of the Government, doesn't make it look good.

Which begs the question, where exactly does government not suck? :/