the FBI closes Megaupload

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

SSD is by no means "insanely priced." When you consider the R/D and behind-the-scenes work, in addition to the cost of supporting the product after its release, software costs a shitload more than you'd think.

...not to mention the comparably tiny demand for software like this. If you'd go out on a street and ask ten random people if they need a drum sample library, chances are not a single one would even know what you're talking about. Ask them about an instructional Zumba DVD package, though...

 

[Jrich4967]

When I compare prices, I consciously do not compare it to getting it for free, on purpose. And trust me, I how much it costs of the software, trust me I'm not a fucking retard/ I was giving my perspective, not in an arguing manner, not in a pissed off way, just my look on things. I didn't make anyone look stupid, or even try for that matter.

Also, it is different. Go run a business that sells physical items you have to make with real materials. Have it get stolen, then replace the cost of that stolen item. you have to raise prices to cover the cost of just making the product alone. when it is software, you don't have to replace the cost of the materials it took to make. all those materials it took to make was food to give the programmer energy.

And good point Jarko

 

[drew_drummer]

and to Drew, for me personally, i never buy anything that i don't need. occasionally i will treat myself, like once every 6 months. I dont want to sound like a whiney little bitch, because im not trying to come off that way at all, but i was very poor growing up. my mom was a single mother of 3 kids, and when i was 10 years old, we had to live in a homeless shelter for a month, and the recovery from that has been rough, and it still affects us financially. We still down have any money. So i absolutely hate seeing kids and people want something so bad that they have to steal it because they CANT afford it. I know what it is like to be in that situation. It is almost unfair in a sense. people are born into poverty and it is way harder to get out of it now than it was even like 6 years ago. I guess people could call me a communist in a sense, because i believe that everyone should have equal access to this kind of stuff. Money shouldn't separate one from being able to pursue their dream. I mean, if you can afford it and you pirate it, fuck you. and Jeff, some of the stuff is insanely priced, regardless of piracy. i would never buy SSD, and god knows you cant find that on torrents. I never justified theft by naming it as a compliment btw. and i never said i compared prices to getting it for free

There are PLENTY of decent freeware apps out there. People pretty much do have equal access to this kind of stuff. But expecting high-end professional quality from something that someone is giving away for free as a HOBBY of theirs.... it's a bit self-entitled imho.

I just think you've got a very unrealistic set of expectations for the world. At the end of the day, music software is soooo varied, there is something for you out there, and all the other poor kids. You don't need to torrent the shit. If you do, you're an ass.

Let me give you some perspective: Four Tet. A hugely popular electronic artist here in the UK... he started out with a copy of Audiomulch, $99, a cheap shitty microphone you can get from any computer store, $30, and a bog standard acoustic guitar, $180.

His albums did pretty well, esp. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rounds_(album)

At a certain level, if people can't afford this stuff, and wont use freeware... then fuck 'em. Get a pen and some paper, and start working on your poetry.

 

[drew_drummer]

when it is software, you don't have to replace the cost of the materials it took to make. all those materials it took to make was food to give the programmer energy

HA! Yeah right.

Even something as banal as replacing office chairs COSTS MONEY. Lightbulbs... MONEY. Desks... MONEY. iMac's when their shit quality screens break... MONEY. Shoes to walk to the office in... MONEY. Teabags to keep yourself awake at 1am in the morning on a Sunday night... MONEY. Licenses for Illustrator and InDesign so the customer gets a high quality manual... MONEY. MSDN licensing... MONEY.

Etc, etc, ad infinitum.

I know developers who, even after a whole range of successful products, STILL have to work from their flat. Not everyone is Native Instruments y'know....

Think of it like this - you're a session musician, covering a whole range of genres. But no-one ever pays you. They say "hey man, your name will be in the album credits... think of all the word of mouth extra custom you'll get!" ... of course ALL that word of mouth custom is more people saying 'do this for free and I'll promote you' ... it's bullshit.

Every single one of your arguments comes at the issue from a starting position of lack of knowledge. They're easily debunked.

 

[Jrich4967]

There are PLENTY of decent freeware apps out there. People pretty much do have equal access to this kind of stuff. But expecting high-end professional quality from something that someone is giving away for free as a HOBBY of theirs.... it's a bit self-entitled imho.

I just think you've got a very unrealistic set of expectations for the world. At the end of the day, music software is soooo varied, there is something for you out there, and all the other poor kids. You don't need to torrent the shit. If you do, you're an ass.

Let me give you some perspective: Four Tet. A hugely popular electronic artist here in the UK... he started out with a copy of Audiomulch, $99, a cheap shitty microphone you can get from any computer store, $30, and a bog standard acoustic guitar, $180.

His albums did pretty well, esp. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rounds_(album)

At a certain level, if people can't afford this stuff, and wont use freeware... then fuck 'em. Get a pen and some paper, and start working on your poetry.

That is true about freeware. good point on that whole paragraph.

I guess I do have an unrealistic set of expectations, but so do you. i mean it isnt to insane to ask the really successful companies to give away some software every now and then, but it isnt going to happen. it also isnt insane to ask people who cant afford the best thing to stop doing what they have to do to get stuff to stop stealing, but it isnt going to happen. either =\

and on the subject of the companys that arent big, i wasnt talking about them. i am referencing waves, protool, Native instruments, and the like

and on your last statement, i agree completely

 

[drew_drummer]

That is true about freeware. good point on that whole paragraph.

I guess I do have an unrealistic set of expectations, but so do you. i mean it isnt to insane to ask the really successful companies to give away some software every now and then, but it isnt going to happen. it also isnt insane to ask people who cant afford the best thing to stop doing what they have to do to get stuff to stop stealing, but it isnt going to happen. either =

and on your last statement, i agree completely

I can't go into details... but you'll often find that companies will donate licenses to charities and organizations who are in need. For instance, an organization who teachers under privileged kids about audio production wrote in once, and we gave them some free licenses.

Not to mention the cut-down versions (which are still totally usable) that you can get from magazine cover discs like Computer Music.

There just isn't any reason to torrent "BIGBEATMAKER PRO 2002 OSX INC.KEYGEN LOLZGROUP" other than greed.

And thanks to the wonderful invention of venture capitalism... those successful companies you mention might not necessarily be as successful as they'd have you believe.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

i mean it isnt to insane to ask the really successful companies to give away some software every now and then

A lot of them do, you just seem to think it's ok to dictate what software gets given away for free.

I don't get the cost argument either man, the min needed software is not going to break the bank. You don't fucking NEED to have "thousands of dollars in software."

I've never had a band bitch because I don't use pro tools or waves or own a neumann mic. Shit is in your head brah.

 

[JeffTD]

trust me I'm not a fucking retard

Then please stop giving arguments and examples that suggest the opposite.

 

[Jrich4967]

A lot of them do, you just seem to think it's ok to dictate what software gets given away for free.

I don't get the cost argument either man, the min needed software is not going to break the bank. You don't fucking NEED to have "thousands of dollars in software."

I've never had a band bitch because I don't use pro tools or waves or own a neumann mic. Shit is in your head brah.

Its not in my head. i dont pirate software. it is in societies head though.

There just isn't any reason to torrent "BIGBEATMAKER PRO 2002 OSX INC.KEYGEN LOLZGROUP" other than greed.

That made me laugh pretty hard lol.

And it is great that companies do that. i wish i would have found one before i spent all my student loan money on software lol

And that is true about the success thing. I know for a fact that one company personally contacted on of those Teams and asked them to take it down because it was hurting business, not even to say they were gonna sue them. and the team did, and stopped cracking their software

 

[Trevoire520]

To say that people pirating software aren't likely to buy it anyway is a retarded statement.

Slate digital had a significant drop in sales the very same day one of their plugins was cracked, showing that the very people who were buying the product were actively hunting for torrents before committing to buying a legal copy. This was the main reason Slate moved to ilok 2, because otherwise they would not have been able to survive as a business and all their staff would have been out of work, unable to pay their rent, feed their families etc.
This is the ugly reality of software piracy dude, it effects the smallest companies most, and it's normally these guys that are doing the really interesting innovative stuff that we don't want to lose.

 

[Erik Monsonis]

The only thing I don't get and will never agree is the prison. And 50 years? That's just ridiculous... That puts online piracy in the same legal level as rape, murder, etc... And to my standards, it will never be comparable.
What seems logic to me would be just the shutdown of Megaupload and the payment of a fee. And that shouldn't have been executed by the US, but NZ itself. But you know how US likes to interfere in every country's issues...

 

[aramism]

there's some real legitimately insane people here... i can't believe some of the stuff people think and say.

 

[Mutant]

At least in our most needed software category, there is so much great quality freeware and reasonably priced payware that there is simply NO NEED FOR PIRACY !

FUCKING PERIOD.

 

[RedDog]

Everyone wants something for free. It's bad karma, doncha know?

 

[Jevil]

Thanks God MEGACUMLOAD is still open.

 

[Jan [MTW]]

Thanks God MEGACUMLOAD is still open.

Don't do this again!
I typed it in my browser with big expectations and nothing showed up.

 

[Trevoire520]

The plot thickens?

Why was MegaUpload really shut down?

 

[Skinny Viking]

THAT is kinda interesting to say the least

 

[Adrian Warren]

Thanks for the link. I already felt that there would be something else going on.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

If that's true... well, damn! :zombie: