Software Piracy: The Morality

[scott155]

I was curious to see how people felt about software piracy. Specifically, the moral aspect. You can respond to the poll and explain your reasoning in the comments. I might use some of these comments in a presentation for school.

[Doublenature]

They're both bad but not equal.

If you download a movie, you can be pretty sure that the first guy paid for it, so the company atleast gets a little money, but still bad.

 

If you steal a movie from a store, no one gets paid full price (the store probably pays for the movie to begin with) but they probably loose more money here..

 

I still download movies though. Just cause I like to fuck with society

Edited March 28, 2012 by Guest (see edit history)

[Kirkreng]

Like tuff said, they are both bad but physical theft is worse because something gets removed from the previous owner.

[Pinkie Pie]

This would probably be more appropriate in the serious topic thread.

[Jek Jek Roo]

Lol, piracy 0%, Theft 100%...

[Alyxx Thorne]

Topic moved.

 

In my opinion physical theft is definitely morally worse, but I always prefer buying stuff I want, whether it's digital or physical.

[Mr Green]

The answer should be obvious, is it not?

[scott155]

The answer should be obvious, is it not?

I would think so, but I would still like more data. I did a smaller poll and found that some people thought they were both just as wrong, usually stating that they were the same thing in different forms. There were even two people who said piracy was worse. They used some ass-backwards logic, though .

[Mr Green]

Where did you do that poll?

[Chuckthe2nd]

ass-backwards logic

Welcome to the internet.

[BTGBullseye]

I think you probly know my stance on this subject already... lol

[Chuckthe2nd]

I think you probly know my stance on this subject already... lol

Yup.

 

"DOWNLOAD ALL THE GAMES!!!"

[BTGBullseye]

"DOWNLOAD ALL THE GAMES!!!"

*And pay for them later if they're good.

[Alyxx Thorne]

I can sort of see the logic behind software piracy though. If you try something before you buy it, then you know you are buying something you actually like, rather than buying something based on the trailers and reviews alone. A lot of games nowadays don't even have any shareware demos anymore.

 

Regarding movies and music, I think piracy can be a good thing, especially for more obscure titles.

[scott155]

Where did you do that poll?

My school.

[Doom Shepherd]

Just because one thing is worse than another thing, that doesn't make that other thing acceptable.

 

Genocide is worse than murder - but if it's you I stab, you'll be even more upset than if I wiped out all of Backendofnowhereistan.

[Pinkie Pie]

Regardless of the whole 'piracy can be good to test something before you play it' thing, I doubt hardly anyone follows that. You pirate something, you play it, then you eventually uninstall it and that's it. Not to say some people DON'T buy it afterwards, but I doubt most people are that morally just.

 

And even then it's still stealing even if the game/movies shit.

[Kirkreng]

^Yup.

[Michael Archer]

I voted for both. Morally, there's no difference between the two. A property owner has the right to decide in what manner that his property gets distributed. When you pirate software or steal from a store, you're taking the property in a manner which the property owner did not give you permission to. When you take something that doesn't belong to you and the property owner says that you can't have it that way, then that's theft no matter how you look at it.

[BTGBullseye]

I voted for both. Morally, there's no difference between the two. A property owner has the right to decide in what manner that his property gets distributed. When you pirate software or steal from a store, you're taking the property in a manner which the property owner did not give you permission to. When you take something that doesn't belong to you and the property owner says that you can't have it that way, then that's theft no matter how you look at it.

Except his property isn't touched, it is looked at and duplicated. There was no use of his property at all. He still has his property.