Piracy

[daveb22]

I'm too loyal to WotC to not buy a physical copy even though I also pirate PDF versions. It helps b/c I read them on my comp in my spare time and they have a search function. But I lost count of how many books I bought from WotC so I believe I'm justified in also getting the PDF (for free)

 

[Jack99]

Ignore this post.

 

[Halivar]

Ignore this post.

What post? I don't see it.

 

[DaveMage]

This is an interesting poll.

Two-thirds-ish respondents have pirated stuff?

I knew it was rampant, but wow.

Seems like it's time for a new business model that uses piracy (somehow) to one's advantage. Maybe posting the pdfs for free, but gaining ad revenue from the site where they are posted. Or maybe have a coupon in the .pdf for $2 (or whatever) off the physical book to drum up sales.

Gives me something to think about....

 

[ProfessorCirno]

This is an interesting poll.

Two-thirds-ish respondents have pirated stuff?

I knew it was rampant, but wow.

Seems like it's time for a new business model that uses piracy (somehow) to one's advantage. Maybe posting the pdfs for free, but gaining ad revenue from the site where they are posted. Or maybe have a coupon in the .pdf for $2 (or whatever) off the physical book to drum up sales.

Gives me something to think about....

Stardock makes a killing off of people pirating their games. Sadly, it seems no other video game producer is willing to comprehend that there's a lot of money to be made in not actively punishing your customers.

 

[Nightson]

Well as long as option three is larger then option two, it would indicate that the company is increasing sales from piracy. I mean in a theoretical world without piracy, you'd have 50 or so people who never buy the books and 25 or so people who do. And I bet that the proportion of category two who wouldn't buy the book even without piracy is greater then the proportion of category three who would end up buying the books anyway.

 

[Zustiur]

My exact situation does not appear to have been mentioned.
I used to pirate things (mainly software) in my childhood and teens. Then when I was studying for IT certification, around the time of napster being closed down, someone pointed out how big the fines for copyright infringement were. I stopped pirating at that point, and made a concerted effort never to 'steal' anything. I habitually look down on people who talk about downloading movies, music etc.

I bought the 3 core 4E books on the day of release, sight unseen. I WISH I HAD PIRATED THEM INSTEAD.
Where does that fit in your poll?

I, like most here, live in a representative democracy. Sometimes the representatives get it wrong. In regards to the discussion here on what is right or wrong. I ask you this:

If you live in any sort of democracy where more than 50% of people break a given law, what does that say about the law or the state of your democracy?

I say that if more than 50% of people are breaking a given law, then that law needs to be reviewed. That is afterall, the basic premise behind democracy - majority rules.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

My exact situation does not appear to have been mentioned.
I used to pirate things (mainly software) in my childhood and teens. Then when I was studying for IT certification, around the time of napster being closed down, someone pointed out how big the fines for copyright infringement were. I stopped pirating at that point, and made a concerted effort never to 'steal' anything. I habitually look down on people who talk about downloading movies, music etc.

I bought the 3 core 4E books on the day of release, sight unseen. I WISH I HAD PIRATED THEM INSTEAD.
Where does that fit in your poll?

I, like most here, live in a representative democracy. Sometimes the representatives get it wrong. In regards to the discussion here on what is right or wrong. I ask you this:

If you live in any sort of democracy where more than 50% of people break a given law, what does that say about the law or the state of your democracy?

I say that if more than 50% of people are breaking a given law, then that law needs to be reviewed. That is afterall, the basic premise behind democracy - majority rules.

Actually, I think most of us live in a democratic republic which exists primarily to prevent a tyranny of the majority

 

[Nightson]

I bought the 3 core 4E books on the day of release, sight unseen. I WISH I HAD PIRATED THEM INSTEAD.
Where does that fit in your poll?

Other.

:cheeky:

 

[Thasmodious]

I'm classically CG, civil disobedience is a moral absolute for me.