Warez and piracy

[abe619]

so let's talk about warez for awhile....
what r ur opinions?
well i think it's bad and stuff, but more than 97% of my 640GB are illegal downloads...

[Pilot]

Then you don't think it's "bad," it's just that others have told you to think it's bad.

Fine by me.

[Jordan]

Yes you think it's terrible, you are so guilty!

I usually only resort to downloading something when I'm in desperate need of it, such as a film or a game, but I haven't done that in a long time, and even when I did download it I'd delete it after, either to buy it or to leave it forever. I think piracy is only useful once to me, I wouldn't be able to use a pirated file over and over again, I like seeing the product sitting on the shelf in its box, and I know I've paid money for it.

Not sure if it counts, but I'm definitely not against watching a TV series online.

[abe619]

well yea i think you are right, i've watched zillions of movies, used zillions of applications, and played zillions of VGs which were all illegally downloaded by me or copied them from someone who downloaded them illegally.
sometimes it's even better than the original thing, like because of all the DRM shit, Skidrow, Razor1911 and Reloaded Rock!!!

EDIT: @Jordan: I don't know but i probably doesn't count....

[MeechMunchie]

I reserve the right to try before I buy. If the product I torrent is good, I make sure I buy a legal copy. Also I think it's fair enough to torrent media if you already have a legal copy.

[moxco]

My general rule is; 'Only pirate it if you wouldn't pay for it. Or it's too fucking hard to obtain legally' So I occasionally buy games that I think look great and would enjoy as a way of thanking the company for something I appreciate. However games that I wouldn't mind trying but wouldn't pay for I'll pirate. There are also outdated games that I would pirate because I can't be bothered to spend ages trying to find a new copy. And anyway if the game is discontinued it's not costing the company anything because it's already been sold.

Something people need to understand is a pirated copy of a game ≠ a lost sale.

This post mainly refers to games as I rent movies and admittedly just about all my music is pirated. Probably because it’s so easy to get illegal music and it downloads in less than a minute so I have less time to feel guilty and say; 'Can’t be fucked waiting for this to finish downloading, I’ll just go and buy it from steam/real world store!'

[abe619]

it's too fucking hard to obtain legally

that happens all the time to most ppl here, i am actually waiting for the very last bits of Worms: Reloaded download to finish...
i usually download most stuff from RS or MU...
Nate, would it get me banned if i say the name of the tool i use?

[Ridg3]

I'm expecting someone to post soon saying, 'OMG, U GUYZ R GETTIN SUMTHIN 4 FREE WHICH SOME1 PUT A LOT OF MONEY IN2 MAKING, THEIFS!'

Whenever I download anything I'd like to think that I'm advertising because I only download shit that I like. And if I tell six people how great this game/album is, chances are one of those six is going to buy said item and if not... three million people have downloaded it already, what's seven more?

Also, albums/games are way to expensive (although I don't have a problem buying games or albums that I like) and I can't afford to be paying for music or games that I've lost or have been destroyed. I feel I hold the right to download something that I have previously paid for.

[Nate]

Nate, would it get me banned if i say the name of the tool i use?

Yes.


And as for everyone else, I find your efforts at alleviating cognitive dissonance amusing.

[abe619]

thank god i didn't just post the name then...or that nightmare i mentioned earlier (take a look at my blogs) might have come true. no offense nate...

[Wings of Fire]

I exclusively pirate goods not available in the West.

So even the DEB says I'm alright.

[Phantasos]

Yes you think it's terrible, you are so guilty!

I usually only resort to downloading something when I'm in desperate need of it, such as a film or a game, but I haven't done that in a long time, and even when I did download it I'd delete it after, either to buy it or to leave it forever. I think piracy is only useful once to me, I wouldn't be able to use a pirated file over and over again, I like seeing the product sitting on the shelf in its box, and I know I've paid money for it.

Not sure if it counts, but I'm definitely not against watching a TV series online.

I reserve the right to try before I buy. If the product I torrent is good, I make sure I buy a legal copy. Also I think it's fair enough to torrent media if you already have a legal copy.

Yeah, I'm pretty much with you two on the whole thing. Also, if it can't be obtained, then I have no problem with owning the illegal copy until it becomes available.

For instance, I currently have all of Tim & Eric Seasons 2-5 and Tom Goes to the Mayor, because it isn't available yet in region 2. If that persists for another year, I may just buy the region 1 copies, but until then I guess I'll keep what I have.
Another example is ReBoot, one of my alltime favourite television shows, but there's no complete DVD release yet, although Rainmaker Animation have promised there may be one on the way - even they're content with the full episodes being available on YouTube until they can release a DVD.

In this age of downloading, I think in a way its important to be somewhat materialistic, as it can be the only way to show your appreciation to the original creator.

[MeechMunchie]

I like to have a disc and a pretty box. The material connection makes the whole experience more complete for me.

This post was originally going to have reasons afterwards, but I think I'll just leave it at that.

[Josh]

I pirate lots of music. And the occasional game.

[looney-bin]

If I can't get ahold of something by legal means, pirating is my last resort. This goes for mainly music like soundtracks to games and tv shows.

[OddjobAbe]

I like a good physical copy. There's nothing like listening to a CD whilst having a flick through the inlay cards and looking at the artwork. LPs are especially good for that. I love CDs, but I love examining the sleeve of an LP whilst I listen to the music.

[Oddey]

In general I do not pirate until there is nothing else I can do to get it, or if the thing I wish to get is incredibely old.

[Phantasos]

I like a good physical copy. There's nothing like listening to a CD whilst having a flick through the inlay cards and looking at the artwork. LPs are especially good for that. I love CDs, but I love examining the sleeve of an LP whilst I listen to the music.

You're right about that, when I play an LP of mine, I usually end up.. carressing it a little..

I've never bought an album on iTunes, or something like that, when there's a CD or LP (yeah sometimes there's a few) equivalent. Just odd songs off Play or amazon.

[Mac Sirloin]

I don't pirate movies. If I'm super-broke I'll pirate TV shows. Almost all of my music is pirated.

[Stupid-Limey]

All my music is pirated, i don't know many people who actually pay for music

[Mr. Bungle]

I try to pay for as much music as possible, but most of the time, I'll download an album a long time before I end up purchasing it. I plan on purchasing every album I've pirated, though.

I don't pirate games unless I've already bought them before.

I think downloading TV shows should be legal, too.

[Daxter King]

I pirate almost all of my music. I watch TV shows and movies online, dont download them. I pirate the occasional N64 or PS2 game.

[abe619]

i pirate 100% of my music, same for movies, and say about 98% of games and progs. cause there r freewares
i also download iso for my wii and for ePSXe, and ofcourse normal pc games....

[Alcar]

Am I the only one whose music collection is entirely legit?

Alcar...

[Nate]

I always buy music, movies and games but download TV shows. My self-justification is that they were available for free in the first place so if I'd had the chance to record them I could have kept them forever anyway.

I do sometimes download music to Try Before I Buy, given that music stores don't seem to have listening stations any more. I always either delete it or buy it soon afterwards.

[Mac Sirloin]

Much of the reason that I pirate music is that I can't find it around here, but if I chance upon an Album I pirated that I really like, I will buy it. DS games are the only ones that I pirate, simply because most of them are either discontinued or, once again, hard to find.

I just realized that I buy almost all of my TV shows in Seasons or Collections. I've probably invested more money in Tim and Eric and Aqua Teen Hunger Force this year than all of my music and non-used video game purchases combined.

[Leto]

All my music is pirated, i don't know many people who actually pay for music

You're a cunt

[T-nex]

I try to buy all the music/games/movies I use. But I have to admit, a lot of the stuff I have, I wouldn't have bought if I didn't "try" it first. I do take pride in my physical collection.

If it's something I don't like, I usually just delete it and never touch it again.
And if I had more money, and electronic entertainment was cheaper I'd have a bigger collection

I did buy Fleet Foxes' album a while ago though =D

But Yea.. I think it's fine to download things if you end up buying them afterwards...

[Havoc]

I download TV shows because I don't want to wait for them to air/appear on DVD in Europe.

I download movies because I'm only interested in watching the movie, I could care less about the cover or the booklet or the disc. Unless it's some sort of special collectors set or special edition of some kind. And unless the movie extremely worth buying, like I recently bought Shawshank Redemption. Movies on DVD are overly expensive IMO.

I download games because 9/10 games these days aren't worth the 59 euro's (around 70 dollars) they cost around here. EA games are downloaded by default because they ruined several awesome developers and the games they made. They do not deserve to receive any money for the shit games they release. For other games it depends on if I like the download or not and if I want to play the multiplayer. Games I find good enough to buy are things like Half Life, Left 4 Dead, Fallout 3, stuff like that. They are few and far between, though.

However for just about every kind of download, wether it's a movie, music, game, it comes down to the bullshit system that is digital copyright. Movies and music should get their main revenue from theaters and concerts. Have people pay to have a unique experience instead of having them pay 20 bux for a copy everyone else has.

[Phantasos]

Movies on DVD are overly expensive IMO.

A lot of my movies, CDs & games are bought through amazon used & new, or at market, and only if they're incredibly cheap, which you know - doesn't really help the original creator.. In a way I feel kind of bad for doing that.

I try to buy all the music/games/movies I use. But I have to admit, a lot of the stuff I have, I wouldn't have bought if I didn't "try" it first. I do take pride in my physical collection.

I usually used programmes like Spotify of Grooveshark to try out a specific album before I buy it, which has a incredible catalogue of free and legal music. Is there anything similar where you live?

I always buy music, movies and games but download TV shows. My self-justification is that they were available for free in the first place so if I'd had the chance to record them I could have kept them forever anyway.

But they're not free in the first place, are they? Is that not what TV Licenses are for? Then again, its free and legal to watch tv programmes that have already aired in the UK on the network's specific website.