I saw this article this morning and thought I’d pass it along … after reading the comments made here over the last week or so I was interested in seeing what you all thought about the idea of people selling bootleg copies of software (Office, games, etc). Really not much different than music when you really think about it. Take a quick glance at the article and post whatever you feel like … but, also keep in mind that when we start working on the big problem assignment this semester, you’ll need to keep software in mind as much as music and movies. Just a little something for the weekend–>
Interesting article. I think as far as having to do with the everyday college student, at least the ones with self-control, I don’t think this is very relevent to us. Maybe its my ignorance on the issue, but these guys were obviously in it for money. When you start stockpiling 87 million worth of software, you have serious problem. I know its considered illegal whether you have downloaded $1 or 87 million, but I think they are two separate issues.
As Mike said, I think there is a major difference between an individual having a few songs or programsfor personal use, whether it be making cd’s or just listening to, and a group of people in it to make a buck. It’s obviously a problem when they were distributing up to 87 million dollars worth of software. I don’t agree with what they were doing at all, but it was their own fault that they got caught. They had to know how large this operation was, and something that blatantly obvious deserves to be caught.
I dont think that this article has anything to do with the average college student. 87 million in software compared to a few downloaded movies or songs is a big difference. I think what those people did was wrong and they should be punished for it, but it is not going to make me stop downloading or make me feel different about it.
I do not think that this article really has that much to do with sharing music. These people were creating and selling products to make a profit. Music sharing is free and no one is really making a profit. So I still vote yes of music sharing.
That article is really interesting. Its a shame how people go and copy all that software and what not, just to make some money. Like others have said in the blog, there’s a big difference between copying music files and then copying software packages or whatever the case may be. No wonder file sharing is illegal, because things like this come up.
I really enjoyed this article. My uncle worked for Microsoft in their Pirating Division and spend almost 4 years traveling back and fourth from the US to China trying to find these black market companies bootlegging their software. I found it interesting that the gov’t found so much bootlegged material between 11 guys. I didn’t realize that just a couple of guys could obtain so much illegal material…they seem like “drug lords” for the computer industry. Definitely a new/different kind of illegal activity. I am curious to how someone goes about obtaining these illegal copies of software…could they be sold on Ebay?
Interesting article. However, I don’t think that this kind of stuff really applies to us college students. These people are obviously deep into the piracy industry and I think their actions are a little more serious then downloading music. These programs and stuff are a lot more high value than the songs we get off the p2p programs.
Haha, I like Jason’s comment on them being the “drug lords.” That’s interesting because that is basically what they are doing… moving and selling illegal goods. Anyways, interesting article. I’m curious to see if all of those people that think downloading music is okay will have to say.
This is one of those “how stupid do you have to be” to try something like that.
That’s probably the only way that the authorities will get to stop software thieves from selling illegal software. People don’t often hear of others getting in trouble for doing that but if it happens more often that will deter others from such activies. If the pirates know that they are actively being sought after, then they just might think twice about doing it.
Theres always that saying the more you do it, the easier it gets. Its hard to say that downloading songs led to these guys stealing programs from microsoft with such large values. However, it could have started this way, with ill just download songs and that was so easy then on to music then so forth. Im not sure, but its a possibilty to get caught up in the fascination of this access and then to make a profit, im sure it almost becomes addicting despite it being wrong. Im not saying that the cause of their actions is cause they downloaded songs, but I can see a connection.
I see it as the big shot drug dealer as opposed to the little guy that buys a little bit of the drugs from the intense networking that ends with the big shot big man. Those guys were trying to be the big shot and yeah at that point if you get caught well duh “you are in deep yogurt,” (hah my mom used to say that to me)…also with downloading free music or stealing it whatever you want to say, it makes more sense, us little guys get to see if we like the music and a whole album before buying it so it wont rott in dust somewhere, the bands and labels if they have a good product that cares about the music and their listeners (not just the money) then their music gets heard by more people not just people that have 15 some dollars to buy their album that they might not like more than one song off of…its basically the best advertising they could ask for, plus their is a lot more to buy to support a band than just the actual music (aka merch) and so anything that gets them heard is just that much more help to make them more money…it all works out, we are a big happy family, unless you are an ass of a musician and you only care about money, cause you are their for the wrong reasons and you shouldnt make money anyway and if you are good enough than no matter what file sharing or not, you are going to make a load of money…so much money…ok i’m done…
Very interesting article, but like most people said it can’t really be compared to college kids. However these men could have begun doing innocent things such as illegal downloading, which in turn headed them on the path they are today. It’s too bad that they did what they did. But the punishment needs to fit the crime, and I think their going to get what they deserve!
I really can’t believe that only 11 guys organized something to this extreme. With 87 million dollars worth of bootleg software, they’re probably going to end up in jail for a while (apparently up to 75 years). But just like all the rest of the class already stated, I don’t think this really compares to downloading a song or two. But then again, I guess people like these guys gotta start somewhere.
I think that what these guys did is nuts, I mean think of how much software that actually is…Thats like enough software for every person at PSU to get a copy of each program and never really even get a chance to use every piece of software!
I think that software is inheritantly different than music for a few reasons…One, You never played a game or used an application everyday without paying for it before the internet. You never got exposed to a FULL Version of a piece of software for free on such a ubiquitous basis like you do with music on the radio…You get the full version of that song at least 4 times a day on one radio station without ever having to pay a dime. Then you can just throw a tape in the stereo and record that song for free. With software, you never get to touch that software until you purchase it, or sometimes you will get a demo version with half the features cut out. When your downloading
music and using it, its still just like a radio (as long as your not burning copies and selling them for your own personal gain.) Naturally, when you have 87 million dollars worth of software, your not using it just for yourself, but like I said I think that ANY re-distribution, music, movies, and software, for your own monetary gain is wrong. I just feel like when comparing music and software, the fact that you get to hear these songs everyday and that the nature of music is such that the only way you will ever want to buy it, is by listening to it, conceptually its just different. Software companies pay money to advertise their products through various channels, while musics “advertising” is through the radio, that by its own merits, is free…Im not quite sure where I went with this, but hopefully someone gets the point (or atleast part of the point) Im trying to make….Ill probably post something later once I figure out more of what Im trying to say.
I am amazed at how people think stealing software is so much worse than stealing someone’s music. Yes a software program costs more than one song or an album, but stealing is stealing. Nobody cared that these “rich” record companies were losing money, but a major corporation like Microsoft, with the richest man in the world as CEO, starts getting ripped off and people talk about how wrong it is. I know that 11 guys stealing 87 million dollars worth of software is far more extreme than someone downloading what is essentially a $.99 song. However, if you think of the number of college students in the country, and how many of them have donwloaded, say, 100 songs. The amount of money lost to the music inudustry is enormous. And I’m saying lost to the entire industry, not just artists or companies. I really don’t understand how people can say that downloading one form of copywritten material is wrong, while another is OK.
I think it’s ridiculous for people to steal that much software. Downloading XP is nothing near as corrupt as this. Greedy people like that should be penalized but not for at least 75 years. That too is ridiculous. What has society come to?
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