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Government Taking Piracy to the Next Level
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Posted by: Tweaker
Now we can fight "The War On Piracy":
With the recent moves by the FBI and its "Buccaneer" operation, which has been targeting the major arteries of the pirated software distribution business, it's clear that the government is taking unprecedented steps towards cracking down on piracy. With yesterday's moves on campuses throughout the US, the government is utilizing their old "tell us what you know or go to jail" tactic. Are the unprecedented crackdowns an honest attempt to clean up the software industry, a raw display of the lobbying susceptibility of the current administration, or both? Investigators say the inquiry into thrill-seeking software piracy has expanded exponentially since it was announced late last week with raids at several universities.
I think this needs to be recognized as the death knoll of the internet and our personal freedoms. Ashcroft pulled the Justice Department off rampant White collar crime to fight terrorism. He then re-assigned them to terrorize "software pirates" which meant America's youth, not organized crime. The raids on Universities are unprecedented and unnecessary publicity stunts.This follows close on the heels of other raids overseas and a sweetheart deal on Microsoft's anti-trust case.
Source: Yahoo News
Story By: The New York Times
Posted by: redwench
all of that may be true. but piracy is a rampant white collar crime, they just shifted focus. the sharing of software and music is illegal. has nothing really to do with the internet.
Posted by: TotalRecall
You know...the software companies bring this on themselves by asking outrageous prices for products.
The music issue thing is big, but people still buy CDs. How about a trade off? Allowing the radio songs but blocking the songs that aren't normally heard?
I don't like it...but, i'm biased as I see money as a hindering object of society. It motivates, but it limits freedom and education.
Posted by: Tweaker
Software piracy is all about acceptable losses. The CFO's meet in the boardroom, see that 20-40 percent loss projected from piracy, and see that as retrievable income. They send lobbyists to Washington, who kick and holler that the government isn't doing enough to quash piracy. The government, particularly this administration, with its fairly weak grasp of all things technical, buys the logic, and sends goons out into the field, wanting to please mommy corporation like a good appendage.
Problem is, the building block of this event chain is that piracy losses are recoverable. The assumption that someone who steals software is going to buy it if he can no longer steal is a false one. In turn, believing that you'll make more money from sales of said product if you rid yourself of piracy is false as well. The users are using the product because they received it for free. There is no research that I've seen that states these users would turn around and buy a 700 dollar software package. It's just as likely they'd turn around and use shareware.
I have no problem with fighting piracy. But anyone who thinks they can get rid of it entirely is fooling themselves. It's like cockroaches. You need to keep them under control, but you won't be getting rid of them. Keep your numbers in the acceptable losses category. If you see the rates rising, send out some shots across the bow.
I hope the administration hasn't been deluded into an all out war on piracy, I'd like my taxpayer dollar to go elsewhere.
Posted by: TotalRecall
I agree, Tweaker. It's not going anywhere.
And you're right. If someone owned an Adobe product which they liked, but did not purchase, it's much more likely for the company to gain a sale on the next version of the product. It's all about reputation.
Posted by: redwench
fighting piracy isnt just about money, although thats the main motivation. if you dont protect your patents and copyrights, you can actually lose them.
Posted by: TotalRecall
Aren't patents and copyrights about money?  I suppose they could be used to keep someone from claiming something that's not theirs, as in art content.
Posted by: redwench
yes, of course. but you must enforce them or your stuff becomes shareware, essentially. they have to show some effort to go after pirates. even if the losses are planned for.
Posted by: SKYHN
Hmmm....So the government shifts their concerns from the "War on Drugs" to the "War on Terroism" but at the same time start the "War on Piracy"? I think the government has their priorities out of whack.
Is piracy that bad now? How many companies loose so much money on piracy that the government has to step in? If the Government really wants to make a bust, hit my old high school campus. Talk about piracy...
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