Crackdown coming on illegal software users

representing about R1,2bn in losses to the country
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He meant to say gains.

having an impact on their efficiency and data security
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FUD.

and ultimately on our economy
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It is having a positive impact on our economy.

were in discussions to ensure that changes to the Copyright Act
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Hopefully we're not going down the road of the US and allowing corporate interests to buy laws.

the outdated Copyright Act
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The only thing wrong with our copyright law is that the copyright period is far too long. Bring it down to 5 years for software, including games, and maybe 10 years for books, music and movies. Those periods are more than long enough.
 
ic said:
Aha, doesn't have any non-OSS products, as opposed to no Operating Systems - which would be rather restrictive in terms of being able to do anything :).
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He's using a "virtual" OS :D
 
Hows about swinging it both ways ...

I want to be able to tell MS to come here and tell me and prove where I am breaching copyright, if at all, without fear of prosecution. Their licencing agreements have changed 5 times in the last 6 years and there range of product offerings are now all under different agreements.

Also .. their wording is downright confusing and I really don't have the time to play lookup the acronym.

i.e. I want protection from Business Software Alliance against the copyright/licencing writers.
 
ic said:
Aha, doesn't have any non-OSS products, as opposed to no Operating Systems - which would be rather restrictive in terms of being able to do anything :).
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I C where I screwed up. OSS it is :D
 
The BSA thing I got was to do an audit of the software we have (this was a couple of years back)
 
ic said:
Aha, doesn't have any non-OSS products, as opposed to no Operating Systems - which would be rather restrictive in terms of being able to do anything :).
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Good point, think a lot people confuse OSS with OS
 
Pitbull said:
I never sell my cracked software. I share them :D. I just think it's wrong making money of something that's not yours. But sharing it for free I find ethical. Ok Flame away :p
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I like to try software before I buy it. If it is good enough, it sells itself and it will have a demand. I've bought a lot of software that is so bad it ends up sitting on the shelf.

Besides, I don't believe a lot of pirated software will ever be bought by the people that get their hands on it. How many times does the average pirate use Photoshop? Would it justify paying 1000's of rands to buy it. I think not.
 
MielieSpoor said:
Isn't piracy only when you sell illegal software/music etc?

Having said that. If I get my Officee Suit for free or my Windows, then it isn't piracy as I didn't actually by the software from someone.
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I have an interesting pet theory. If you get the software from *somewhere*, once you agree the the EULA, it implies that there is an agreement from the other side that you're entitled to use the product.

I wonder how that would stand up in court? :p
 
What percentage of the fees stay in South Africa to keep the local software development skills going?

I guess at least 90% of all M$ license fees goes straight out of the country, and the 10% remaining goes to marketing.
 
My biggest gripe (apart from the exhorbitant costs of SW) is that when something does go wrong there is no local support for the product and you end up having to sort it out with no help from the crowd you bought it from.
 
yup they'll take your money and provide little in return
 
The organisation called on Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa in September last year to make changes to the outdated Copyright Act.
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Our Copyright Act is just fine thank you. Up yours, BSA!
 
Hey BSA

Check the thread on IT workers supposedly getting fat salaries, and then check the realistic replies. Surely a reward scheme would allow salaries to really reach that level. I say give IT workers rewards and you will get your pirates. Its thats simple. Perhaps a percentage of the fine or a sliding scale based on the amount of illegal software being used. Surely this will solve the problem and benefit others.
 
jetpacman said:
Hey BSA

Check the thread on IT workers supposedly getting fat salaries, and then check the realistic replies. Surely a reward scheme would allow salaries to really reach that level. I say give IT workers rewards and you will get your pirates. Its thats simple. Perhaps a percentage of the fine or a sliding scale based on the amount of illegal software being used. Surely this will solve the problem and benefit others.
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So you wanna be an impimpi then?
 
I would install Linux on all the PCs, dual boot windows and install a script on ever PC to modify the boot manager in an instant when people come and look at the PCs. That way they will only see Linux installed, will boot only Linux and can get away with free Windows.

On the other hand, just use Linux for your business, if you only need Office and email. The only problem I see is accounting and engineering packages, which needs Windows.
 
edc said:
I would install Linux on all the PCs, dual boot windows and install a script on ever PC to modify the boot manager in an instant when people come and look at the PCs. That way they will only see Linux installed, will boot only Linux and can get away with free Windows.

On the other hand, just use Linux for your business, if you only need Office and email. The only problem I see is accounting and engineering packages, which needs Windows.
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How about booting linux only and keeping the boot manager on a stiffy. At least thats a good use for a stiffy anyway. When the come along just trash the stiffys quickly. How about using WINE on those Pc's that need those Windows packages. I havent had time to play with WINE on linux for a couple of years now, but last I used it, it was improving very nicely ( circa 2004). Or how about buying a few copies of windows just for certain apps I mean we have to give windows its merits too and not just hate it because its the geeky thing to do.

EDIT: I just checked up on WINE at www.winehq.com and check this out http://frankscorner.org/
 
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[rant]:mad:

There are three kinds of "piracy"

1) The scum at the flea market who makes a dishonest living out of selling pirated goods... but his product is shoddy and market forces dictate that he won't be in business long. These guys are still a threat to intellectual property and should be the legitimate target of the anti-piracy league. This is full-on commercial piracy.

2) The poor Joe Average user who can't afford to pay a quarter to half of his net income on a software package that he is only going to use sporadically anyway. So he borrows an office package from his mate to install on his pc... uses it once in a blue moon and forgets to re-install the next time her reformats.
Those businesses that run unlicensed software typically go out and legitimise their software as soon as they become profitable and can afford it (as long as it is reasonably priced).

3) The Big corporations that charge exorbitant and ridiculous amounts for software that is really not worth that much anyway. These are the worst kind of pirates. And to top it off they spend money on forming these anti-piracy leagues (which are really just fronts for the businesses to extract more money) which then make criminals out of all kinds of legitimate users... and accuse Joe Public of being a pirate instead of going after the pirates in category 1.


Let capitalism have it's way... cheap and widely distributed software will thrive and become profitable... expensive and poorly marketed software will die... and no amount of propping up will save it.

Why do you think Windows 95 and Windows 98 became so popular? Wide distribution and reasonable pricing. Now M$ is trying to milk the cash cow by slitting her throat. Not gonna work.

the BSA and the SAFACT can kiss my a$$... they have no support from the likes of you and I because we have no respect for them... anyone who accuses you of being a criminal does not deserve my respect.

I get labeled a criminal every time I insert my Harry Potter DVD... I paid for this already... full price ... why do you have to put an ad at the front of the DVD that accuses me of piracy... I'm not the pirate... go put it on their fracking DVDs... and then to make it so that I can't even skip past the ad??? Bite me!!! you guys can go suck eggs... I'll fight piracy my own way without your help... I don't buy pirated DVDs cos they suck and are bad quality... I don't buy pirated software cos it is buggy and full of viruses and lacks the (good quality) support I need... piracy will kill itself... it does not need a bunch of suits running the anti-piracy business like the mafia.

[/rant]
 
Here is something, anyone spot South Africa

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070430/ap_on_go_ot/copyright_piracy

WASHINGTON - China, Russia and 10 other nations were targeted by the Bush administration for failing to sufficiently protect American producers of music, movies and other copyrighted material from widespread piracy

In addition to Russia and China, the 10 countries placed on the priority watch list were Argentina, Chile, Egypt, India, Israel, Lebanon, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine and Venezuela

The countries placed on a lower-level watch list were Belarus, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, South Korea, Kuwait, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam
 
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