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Software pirates stealing from local channel
- Thread starter rpm
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JBFRobisher
Expert Member
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The article looks like some regurgitated drivel originally penned by the Propaganda Department at the BSA, dolled up and reported as "news" in Computing SA in their desperation not to have to actually report anything other than channel advertorial.
supersunbird
Honorary Master
The article looks like some regurgitated drivel originally penned by the Propaganda Department at the BSA, dolled up and reported as "news" in Computing SA in their desperation not to have to actually report anything other than channel advertorial.
LOL
I tried to buy some older software for a friend, like BattleField 2 and Doom 3. Guess what, the channel didn't have stock or were end of line. They think I wont pirate it if they dont have it?
And you know how difficult it often is to source software in the local channel in any case?
The_Unbeliever
Honorary Master
If somebody want win98 and it's not available, then of course he'll pirate it.
Same goes for games.
There should be a law that software older than, say 3 years, should be labeled abandonware and put up somewhere where everybody have access to it.
Wonder when we'll hear of the first linux pirate copy...
A solution would be to let the customer know that he/she's using pirated software, but charge twice the price for support due to the pirated software. Or sell the original to the customer with the understanding that it will have support (to be paid for) for it.
But too often a customer pirates software, and phone a techie or whoever, and they'll help the customer fix the problem without enquiring about the pirated status of the software.
The Linux model is better as the software is free, and therefore there is no incentive to pirate it - and everybody (who's able) can deliver support for Linux.
Same goes for games.
There should be a law that software older than, say 3 years, should be labeled abandonware and put up somewhere where everybody have access to it.
Wonder when we'll hear of the first linux pirate copy...
A solution would be to let the customer know that he/she's using pirated software, but charge twice the price for support due to the pirated software. Or sell the original to the customer with the understanding that it will have support (to be paid for) for it.
But too often a customer pirates software, and phone a techie or whoever, and they'll help the customer fix the problem without enquiring about the pirated status of the software.
The Linux model is better as the software is free, and therefore there is no incentive to pirate it - and everybody (who's able) can deliver support for Linux.
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Price
......faulty software............
Most potential customers are scared away by the price. I DO NOT mind paying but I DO MIND paying TOO MUCH. I also do mind been continiually milked, because of structured or limited improvement options. I also do mind been controlled as to what I can or can not do on my computers. This goes for all piracy, why would anyone pirate anything if the real thing was better priced. The traffic light DVD seller will be out of business if the real thing was priced more realistically. The cost and/or trouble to pirate then will become a "no option"
I am a reseller. M$ told me a month or more ago that XP is not available any more, XP is still wanted by most..... why because of bad customer experiences (word of mouth) with Vista. What really blows my little mind is that M$ Office products are so exspensive that I can now sell prepaid office (speaking of control). Who in their right mine is going to buy that?
Comfort zones seems more important than cost because people are reluctant to use Open Source (THATS FREE) software. It took all of us time to get use to the exspensive stuff, it will hardly take more time to ge use to free stuff
......faulty software............
Most potential customers are scared away by the price. I DO NOT mind paying but I DO MIND paying TOO MUCH. I also do mind been continiually milked, because of structured or limited improvement options. I also do mind been controlled as to what I can or can not do on my computers. This goes for all piracy, why would anyone pirate anything if the real thing was better priced. The traffic light DVD seller will be out of business if the real thing was priced more realistically. The cost and/or trouble to pirate then will become a "no option"
I am a reseller. M$ told me a month or more ago that XP is not available any more, XP is still wanted by most..... why because of bad customer experiences (word of mouth) with Vista. What really blows my little mind is that M$ Office products are so exspensive that I can now sell prepaid office (speaking of control). Who in their right mine is going to buy that?
Comfort zones seems more important than cost because people are reluctant to use Open Source (THATS FREE) software.
It took all of us time to get use to the exspensive stuff, it will hardly take more time to ge use to free stuff
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
If the software is widely available and realistic in price, the public will buy it. This has been proven the world over. But if people can't find what they are looking for or are being charged exorbitant rates then market forces kick in and they look elsewhere.
When I was in the USA and I went into Best Buy I was flabbergasted at the range of software that was on their shelves. I spent several thousand rand buying software I knew I would never see again in South Africa.
The sad reality in South Africa is a single shelf stocked with a few sporadic titles listed at ridiculous prices... and a "bargain bin" full of stuff that are far from bargains.
When I was in the USA and I went into Best Buy I was flabbergasted at the range of software that was on their shelves. I spent several thousand rand buying software I knew I would never see again in South Africa.
The sad reality in South Africa is a single shelf stocked with a few sporadic titles listed at ridiculous prices... and a "bargain bin" full of stuff that are far from bargains.
supersunbird
Honorary Master
Or software so bad you wouldn't even pirate it...
Piracy means increased sales. Ubiquitous software like MS Office and Adobe Photoshop - the dominant players in their markets - have all been pirated exhaustively. Heck kids
pirate office and photoshop to use it, then students and finally when these people
start working and go into business with these products - they buy them. Heck they
already know how to use them. The name Photoshop is synonymous with picture editing.
The article is BS. It's claiming that a developer looses money because of unlicenced copies but if
you consider that those copies would never have been purchased in the first place, the statement
becomes nonsensical.
As for people being being scared away because of bugs that hasn't stopped Office and PhotoShop - as buggy as they
were without vendor support
- from being the dominant software in their markets.
pirate office and photoshop to use it, then students and finally when these people
start working and go into business with these products - they buy them. Heck they
already know how to use them. The name Photoshop is synonymous with picture editing.
The article is BS. It's claiming that a developer looses money because of unlicenced copies but if
you consider that those copies would never have been purchased in the first place, the statement
becomes nonsensical.
As for people being being scared away because of bugs that hasn't stopped Office and PhotoShop - as buggy as they
were without vendor support
- from being the dominant software in their markets.
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nictron
Senior Member
Piracy means increased sales. Ubiquitous software like MS Office and Adobe Photoshop - the dominant players in their markets - have all been pirated exhaustively. Heck kids
pirate office and photoshop to use it, then students and finally when these people
start working and go into business with these products - they buy them. Heck they
already know how to use them. The name Photoshop is synonymous with picture editing.
The article is BS. It's claiming that a developer looses money because of unlicenced copies but if
you consider that those copies would never have been purchased in the first place, the statement
becomes nonsensical.
As for people being being scared away because of bugs that hasn't stopped Office and PhotoShop - as buggy as they
were without vendor support
You do have a point but I can mention 4 companies that started with pirated software, made money and guess what? The owners bought new cars, big mansions and they have their pretty wives with big label brands and expensive gym contracts, hair and manicures.
AND STILL NO LEGAL SOFTWARE! Even though they make the money now they still dont give a ***** about the software that helped them start their business or the software that runs their daily business, i am an auditor and I see this kind of thing on a daily basis.
Ekhaatvensters
Executive Member
But piracy means increased sales so you should be happy.
[quote="PeterCH']The article is BS. It's claiming that a developer looses money because of unlicenced copies but if
you consider that those copies would never have been purchased in the first place, the statement
becomes nonsensical.[/quote]
Surely if there wasn't any, or as much, piracy then at least some of those sales would have gone through if piracy wasn't an option. You can't really say that everyone using a pirated copy wouldn't buy that software if they couldn't get it pirated. I would have to buy a lot of the software I use if I didn't pirate it.
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LazyLion
King of de Jungle
hehe... you don't need another copy of Soduku for windows at R79.99 ???
general_koffi
Expert Member
But think of all the business our poor stuggling ISPs will lose if we "eradicate" piracy...
Do you think I buy almost 30GB of bandwidth a month because I have some absurd fetish for Linux?
Besides, I don't think I've ever pirated a local product. Or bought one, for that matter... (Or even heard of one.)
Do you think I buy almost 30GB of bandwidth a month because I have some absurd fetish for Linux?
Besides, I don't think I've ever pirated a local product. Or bought one, for that matter... (Or even heard of one.)
km2
Expert Member
What about all of us who buy our software from Take 2 and foreign stores? Are we also "stealing" from the channel because it hasn't gone through the South African tradition of four layers of middle men?
Looking at the way they've handled the pricing and availability of console games, "the channel" gets zero sympathy from me. The sooner there's a major shakeup of it the better.
And for all those people pirating software like Office and Windows just remember that you're helping keep the Rand strong, you patriots! For every R200 that goes to the local channel, you'd be seeing at least R400 going to Microsoft to be ultimately expatriated as dollars
Looking at the way they've handled the pricing and availability of console games, "the channel" gets zero sympathy from me. The sooner there's a major shakeup of it the better.
And for all those people pirating software like Office and Windows just remember that you're helping keep the Rand strong, you patriots! For every R200 that goes to the local channel, you'd be seeing at least R400 going to Microsoft to be ultimately expatriated as dollars
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This article is definitely just regurgitated propaganda. Didn't we just see a variation on this nonsense a month or two ago?
Maybe instead of trying to sell foreign software and sending money offshore they should consider selling the services like support and customisation.
What worries me is that this is the kind of nonsense that gets peddled to lawmakers who are uninformed enough to fall for the propaganda.
Maybe instead of trying to sell foreign software and sending money offshore they should consider selling the services like support and customisation.
What worries me is that this is the kind of nonsense that gets peddled to lawmakers who are uninformed enough to fall for the propaganda.
What about all of us who buy our software from Take 2 and foreign stores? Are we also "stealing" from the channel because it hasn't gone through the South African tradition of four layers of middle men?
Looking at the way they've handled the pricing and availability of console games, "the channel" gets zero sympathy from me. The sooner there's a major shakeup of it the better.
And for all those people pirating software like Office and Windows just remember that you're helping keep the Rand strong, you patriots! For every R200 that goes to the local channel, you'd be seeing at least R400 going to Microsoft to be ultimately expatriated as dollars
Exactly. I don't support my "local channel" because I am Proudly South African(tm)
hj2k_x
Honorary Master
Piracy means increased sales. Ubiquitous software like MS Office and Adobe Photoshop - the dominant players in their markets - have all been pirated exhaustively. Heck kids
pirate office and photoshop to use it, then students and finally when these people
start working and go into business with these products - they buy them. Heck they
already know how to use them. The name Photoshop is synonymous with picture editing.
The article is BS. It's claiming that a developer looses money because of unlicenced copies but if
you consider that those copies would never have been purchased in the first place, the statement
becomes nonsensical.
As for people being being scared away because of bugs that hasn't stopped Office and PhotoShop - as buggy as they
were without vendor support
QFT. That is all there is to say really.
HDC
Active Member
As said before - this is absolute drivel.
So I BUY a couple of Blue-Rays - <read - legally>. Put in my player and guess what - wrong region code...cannot be played as I have the SA version (Zone 2) player and cannot play Zone 1 movies.
Note that I have also payed the rip off tax charges for import duties...
Guess where I'm getting my next movies from...
It's like most things in SA - the more you try to stay legal and give the local bloodsuckers money, the more difficult they make it for you and the snowball continues.
Another thing - the local channels are not even required - we do not want your crappy marketing - wow ever seen linux programs on a stupid billboard...? I certainly do not have any problems with that said Linux sofware, development going great on new ones....so what what were you on about again....?? Get a life and rather go and mow lawns or generate electricity - something that will actually provide benefits to the country...bunch of no good room temperature IQ cabbages...
So I BUY a couple of Blue-Rays - <read - legally>. Put in my player and guess what - wrong region code...cannot be played as I have the SA version (Zone 2) player and cannot play Zone 1 movies.
Note that I have also payed the rip off tax charges for import duties...
Guess where I'm getting my next movies from...
It's like most things in SA - the more you try to stay legal and give the local bloodsuckers money, the more difficult they make it for you and the snowball continues.
Another thing - the local channels are not even required - we do not want your crappy marketing - wow ever seen linux programs on a stupid billboard...? I certainly do not have any problems with that said Linux sofware, development going great on new ones....so what what were you on about again....?? Get a life and rather go and mow lawns or generate electricity - something that will actually provide benefits to the country...bunch of no good room temperature IQ cabbages...
CirclingTheSun
Well-Known Member
Amen