People selling cracked plugins (WOW)

[Joshua Wickman]

I talked with 3 people today selling cracked Waves plugins. One from ebay and Two from craigslist. One went as far as trying to sell me on them after he told me there cracked. Another one told me... you just have to reset the Ilok that comes with his bundle every 2 weeks. I'm still in shock that this is going on and Waves does not step up and bust these loser's. I mean it would be so easy to nail these guys. Using something cracked is one thing but selling them is just mind blowing. I'm trying to find a legit version used and save a couple bucks and its almost impossible sifting through all the fakes. Waves needs to step it up and make an example out of these guys!

end rant.......

 

[LydonB]

Unbelievable. There are several people I go to school with that brag all the time about having all these plugins and programs. It really pisses me off to no end because they have no problem with it at all. I understand that they are students like me but seriously. There really is not a difference in downloading the plugins than going to a store and lifting them off the shelves. Seriously, some of these guys have thousands of dollars in software...all stolen. It pisses me off to no end. I have honestly thought about reporting them to people but they are my friends and I do not want to be a backstabber.

 

[Joshua Wickman]

Selling this stuff is just wrong in so many ways, and I'm just shocked that this type of thing can happen so freely with no punishment. What if i did not know better and bought them. I'm just pissed on so many levels about this and these people!

 

[LydonB]

They will hopefully get what is coming to them at some point. Karma is a bitch.

 

[BLOODROOT]

Adobe did this thing where they posed as sellers recently and busted a bunch of people for buying illegal software. I only heard about it because it made the local new here couple years ago cause a company in town got busted.

 

[Kazrog]

Waves pretty much executes these kinds of people via a private firing squad at a secret base in the mountains of Israel.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Stealing it is one thing. Stealing it then selling it is a whole nother new evil. You should have told them "yeah I am interested what is your address so I can come see them in action?". Then reported there fucking asses.

 

[Chryst Krispies]

Whoa. For a moment, I didn't read your handle, and I thought some Noob was literally trying to sell cracked plugs on the forum. I was awaiting a serious shitstorm.

 

[Black neon bob]

Waves needs to step it up and make an example out of these guys!

You didn't know? waves have hitmen running around all over the world, recording in studios with cracked software with spycams, then they make them dissapear...

 

[Joshua Wickman]

You didn't know? waves have hitmen running around all over the world, recording in studios with cracked software with spycams, then they make them dissapear...

Well there hitmen suck and they need to hire some new ones or those ones need to get online!

 

[Joshua Wickman]

Waves pretty much executes these kinds of people via a private firing squad at a secret base in the mountains of Israel.

They backed up with people over there or something?

 

[GarethSE]

I'll be the first to admit I use cracked software, but I'm a poor-ass student with no job and very little chance of getting one in the middle of this recession.
I can barely afford to eat and smoke, let alone buy plugins or any software/gear/stuff at all.

But I *AM* making a conscious effort to go more and more legit with software and plugs.
I downloaded a boatload of freeware vst's the other night, 90% of which are fairly good.
Voxengo will get my money for Elephant fairly soon, because it's not that expensive and it sounds fucking amazing, and uh yeah I still use Nuendo 3, and not exactly legally, but I'm building myself up to making the jump to Reaper.

I don't make any money off recording yet, and by the time I start making money, I will be totally legit.

So my conscience is pretty clean.
I'd never fucking sell cracked plugs/software though. A step too far, definately.

 

[gumplunger]

Unbelievable. There are several people I go to school with that brag all the time about having all these plugins and programs. It really pisses me off to no end because they have no problem with it at all. I understand that they are students like me but seriously. There really is not a difference in downloading the plugins than going to a store and lifting them off the shelves.

Let's distinguish "can" from "should." Simplifying just a bit: Why "can't" you? Because when virtual communities "share" materials, they make copies, and copyright law regulates copies; when real space libraries "share" content, they don't make copies, so copyright law doesn't regulate that. But should there be such a difference? No. Our tradition has always recognized the importance of balance in copyright restrictions; it has always recognized the importance of access.

There is no reason that the technical accident that everything online is a copy should mean the end of libraries. Obviously, libraries shouldn't become the pirates lair. But neither should the Internet obliterate libraries.

And anyone who turns his friend in for downloading software is a self-righteous jerk.

Selling stolen shit is a different matter, however.

 

[csholtmeier]

I tried to report an auction for Waves' SSL last week. It was for a PC-only version for like $60. There is no doubt these are cracked, as legit Waves products are an Ilok asset to be used across multiple platforms. Ebay responded by saying the auction looked fine.

To the OP, check out the Waves Universe Ebay store. I just bought the V-series bundle on Wednesday for a killer price, and they are about the nicest people you'd ever want to deal with. I think I might upgrade to the full Studio Classics bundle next month.

 

[LydonB]

And anyone who turns his friend in for downloading software is a self-righteous jerk.

lol, well, as I said, I would never turn them in. It just irritates me that they think they are hot shit because they downloaded a bunch of stuff. But whatever.

 

[MT01]

There really is not a difference in downloading the plugins than going to a store and lifting them off the shelves.

I would tend to disagree in certain circumstances. Consider this hypothetical scenario:

a) I walk in to a store and steal a $600 plugin. Store owner has physically lost an item that he will have to replace at cost (let's just assume he doesn't have insurance). Who looses out? Clearly the store owner.

b) I download a cracked $600 plugin. I don't take my production seriously and would never spend $600 on a plugin but since I have the means to get a cracked copy for "free", I do so. Who looses out? The plugin developer? Nope, since there is no physical loss, not even the loss of a potential sale as I'd never spend $600 on something that will get very little use.
If I couldn't have found a cracked copy my life would go on without the use of that plugin.

I can understand the frustration that developers must have when releasing a program, only to find that a few days later it's cracked on the web, but there will always be people who will never pay for legit programs and there will always be the others who will. Cracked software will always be a pain to use, update and keep stable, therefore professional users will in the majority of cases cough up and pay. If you can't bare the thought of someone using your product for free, then don't get into software. The crackers will always be out there and they will in 90% of cases get around copy protection. That's life.

 

[Damian B]

If you check craigslist you can routinely find people selling Waves Platinum Bundles for $50. And I'm sure all you would get would be an AiR release on a CD-R hahahaha.

Yeah, selling cracked plugins is really low. I use *some* cracked software due to the fact that I'm in school, record purely for myself and my band, and make no money on recording. That being said I've moved to Reaper and use a ton of Voxengo plugs.

 

[GeertSamuel]

Optimus Prime also ran a crack version of "Search and destroy"..now he's got prostate cancer....
So a crack is not something you should install on your computer, you'd better smoke it.

 

[Erkan]

Cracked software... great for learning stuff, but sucks total ass when people use them to make money. It's just so brutally low

 

[fatalforce]

b) I download a cracked $600 plugin. I don't take my production seriously and would never spend $600 on a plugin but since I have the means to get a cracked copy for "free", I do so. Who looses out? The plugin developer? Nope, since there is no physical loss, not even the loss of a potential sale as I'd never spend $600 on something that will get very little use.
If I couldn't have found a cracked copy my life would go on without the use of that plugin.

I don't agree with that mindset. That's how people feel about downloading music. Regardless of it having more potential, cheaper, and no physical loss your still abusing what should be their intellectual property.

I view cracked plug ins as this: a good way to gain experience and knowledge until you're running a legitimate business. When you start making money, you should buy the real thing.