Poll: Can piracy be justified?

[Esotera]

If the population pays a piracy tax that is reimbursed to the actual creators of copyright, and not the music/troll industry, then piracy would be way better than the system we currently have.

Right now I'd say piracy can be justified if you already own something in a different medium, and it's not such a big issue if you're not distributing anything to others.

 

[4RM3D]

DRM. I think that's the only reason why most people pirate games, and it's good reason.

That isn't really a reason, more an excuse. Unless they buy the game but play a pirated version, than it's fine.

You are not allowed to circumvent the DRM of the game. You are allowed to make a copy of the media for personal use only. But the game is (usually) protected against copying. The ability to make a copy of the media is mandatory by law which surpasses the ToA that you are not allowed to circumvent the DRM. But then again, when you buy the game you don't own it. No, you just bought a license to use the game. And in the license you agree to not circumvent the DRM and because you don't own the game, you lose the right to copy the game for personal use (which isn't the case with movies and music). Thus even if you bought the game, you are not allowed to use a pirated version.

I really hate this 'you buy a license to the game, not the game itself'. I bought, I own it. That is how I feel and that's how it should be, like with movies and music. The only exception would be online games with dedicated servers and games that provide additional online services (like Steam).

 

[AnotherAvatar]

YUUUP.

First off: Most Piracy is done on artistic mediums; Movies, Music, Video Games. For me art is something that should be openly shared for the health of our culture. Plus I've never met a real artist who would rather not make art if they're not making money, artists are driven by a desire to create and share that creation, money only becomes a factor in this equation for greedy pseudo-artists, who might as well be con artists.

Secondly: Being a lower-middle-class-American, born with the boot heel of the rich on my throat thanks to Reaganomics I feel fully justified even just outright stealing from most major corporations due to one simple fact: They've been stealing from my friends and family members as well as myself for decades through bullshit tax cuts and any price inflation they can get away with.

Let me put it this way: So long as I live in a country where Corporations are given the same rights as people, without having to pay the same taxes or obey the laws, I will continue to fuck them over every chance they get.

Because that's what I do to people who make it their JOB to fuck me over.




All of that said, if I were to pirating something created by an artist I would find another way to give them my money directly. I've spent more than enough on the game market over my lifetime to not really feel very bad about trying out games (Most of which I do end up buying as my Steam library shows), and as of late I've been investing in Kickstarters, which is way more direct than buying EA's copy of a Bioware re-release or whatever. With music I spend the majority of my money lately on shows and festivals and the occasional shirt, which gives the musicians way more money than buying their cds ever would.
And fuck the film industry, I'm not giving them back shit until they stop sucking. >_>

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

If whatever you want is out of print and unobtainable then yes. But most piracy is for currently released films, games and music. I just hate that piraters come up with dumb excuses to validate why they do it instead of being truthful and saying "I dont want to pay for it". I would have a pinch more respect for them if they said that.

 

[charge52]

DRM. I think that's the only reason why most people pirate games, and it's good reason.

That isn't really a reason, more an excuse. Unless they buy the game but play a pirated version, than it's fine.

You are not allowed to circumvent the DRM of the game. You are allowed to make a copy of the media for personal use only. But the game is (usually) protected against copying. The ability to make a copy of the media is mandatory by law which surpasses the ToA that you are not allowed to circumvent the DRM. But then again, when you buy the game you don't own it. No, you just bought a license to use the game. And in the license you agree to not circumvent the DRM and because you don't own the game, you lose the right to copy the game for personal use (which isn't the case with movies and music). Thus even if you bought the game, you are not allowed to use a pirated version.

I really hate this 'you buy a license to the game, not the game itself'. I bought, I own it. That is how I feel and that's how it should be, like with movies and music. The only exception would be online games with dedicated servers and games that provide additional online services (like Steam).

I never said your allowed, technically your never "allowed" because of the law. I'm simply stating it is justifiable.

 

[incal11]

I just hate that piraters come up with dumb excuses to validate why they do it instead of being truthful and saying "I dont want to pay for it". I would have a pinch more respect for them if they said that.

I don't want to pay for it.
...
I'd be ashamed if it wasn't proven, with serious studies (the "dumb excuses") and not personal feelings, that those who basically try before they buy are better media consumers than you.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2009/04/study-pirates-buy-tons-more-music-than-average-folks/

 

[MrMixelPixel]

If the product is otherwise unavIlable to you, I do not mnd it being pirated.

This and...

I personally wouldn't feel bad if I pirated a game I already owned. Like say... I lost the disc to my zoo tycoon or civilization III. And now installing it without buying it again is impossible. I wouldn't feel bad for pirating it at that point...

 

[CardinalPiggles]

I think that if you pay for something and don't get a working version of said thing, or a refund, then it's justified.

For example, you buy a game, always online DRM prevents you from playing it, then I think it's morally ok to pirate it, assuming you can't get a full refund.

Only problem is like you said, to 'The man' it's very black and white, he might not know you paid for it and would happily sue your arse.

 

[Matthi205]

Piracy can be justified, but only if the media is being censored/prohibited or if the price for it is just too high to be paid (like buying a $50 game for $130).
Otherwise I'd say piracy doesn't make much sense:
-DRM can and will be cracked (took them only a few days to crack CSS, remember?). As the law in Europe is at the moment of writing , using cracks on media you bought is legal.
-A Region lock can be easily circumvented by setting an old CD/DVD drive in your PC to the desired region , reading the disc to .iso format , and burning it again region-free.
-As for inferior quality-depends on the media: Games can be imported , Movies can normally easily be watched on YouTube (with a proxy if need be).

 

[MetalGenocide]

Anything can be justified.

Cap: "usual suspects" Hah.
Now: "zombie prom" wtf

 

[Shoggoth2588]

In 9 times out of 10 you can't really justify piracy. At this point in global commerce, you can get almost anything you'd ever want if you have the available cash and know where to look. That being said however, there are just some things that (for one reason or another) aren't available for sale or haven't been for however many weeks, months or, years. At this point for example, I would be more justified in downloading a rom of the Taito Superman Arcade game than any of the Famicom Hokuto no Ken games (and not just because those HnK games are terrible).

 

[In Search of Username]

I think pirating is justified any time you're pirating something made by people who already have an obscene amount of money.

Pirating indie games and stuff like that is indefensible though. Those guys need the money.

 

[Sanshou]

As it's a form of entertainment and a luxury not something you NEED, it's stealing you can't really justify it. If you can afford x console to run y media chances are you can afford y media.

This, so so many times.

People seem to believe that gaming is their right and they need it to survive. You dont, its a nice thing to have but you dont NEED it, therefore you cannot justify it in anyway. Rationalising is what most people do, there is a subtle difference.

 

[Yopaz]

Quite recently a book I really was looking forward to got released, but only as an eBook and only in North America. Now I really want to pay for it, but they wont let me because copyright laws and trade laws are like that. Now after trying to find places that would sell it for a long time I'd say that piracy could be justified. No matter what happens though I will buy it as soon as it's possible.

 

[TaboriHK]

Piracy of goods needed for survival, like food or medicine? Sure.Entertainment? Don't be stupid.

 

[phreakdb]

I would say that the only time piracy could be justified, is in the case of abandonware.

 

[In Search of Username]

No. Not in ANY case. And for a single reason that nobody seems to notice.

There are a lot of reasons people will give to justify piracy, such as price, business practices personal taste of the choice of game/film/ect. But if you're still pirating the game/film to play/watch it, it renders all your reasons meangless because it's still worth owning despite the flaws. And it's it's worth owning, it's worth paying for.

If you're going to pirate, then pirate. But admit that you're doing it for the same reason everyone else is doing. Because you don't want to pay for anything. Don't pretend you're some Robin Hood standing up for consumer rights, when all you are is a thief.

Because none of your justifications are going to have any merit if the police come knocking at your door. And contrary to popular belief, you don't get to shirk the law when it becomes bothersome to you.

How about the argument that, for example, the band you're illegally downloading music from already have far more money than you will ever see in your life, whereas you, the person downloading the music, may not have much money at all? How can you possibly argue that they need your money more than you do? They're not going to struggle because they don't have it. They're not even going to notice the difference.

Honestly, I think the only time you can argue against piracy is when you're talking about some indie game or some obscure music made by people who will really be affected by your piracy.

 

[theultimateend]

Blah Blah it all depends on personal morales.

People will find ways to justify anything they do, piracy is among them.

And there is nothing necessarily wrong with those justifications either.

But otherwise I think Keoul ended the thread, beyond this is hearsay and grand standing.

 

[evilneko]

Can piracy be justified?

Not on this forum it can't, unless someone wants mod wrath.