Is it ok to download pirated software, videos, or music?
Posted by ClifNotes, Jul 2008, permalink Windows Tips
I want to ask you a simple question. Is it ok to download and use everything you find on the net?
I'm not talking about making copies of something yourself. Many people feel that it's only "Fair Use" to make a copy of any digital media, such as CDs or DVDs, if they intend to use it only as a backup copy. Let's table the topic of "Fair Use" for another day.
First, let me tell you how I feel about it. I don't feel that it's right to use protected works without permission or without paying for it in some fashion.
I'm not innocent. Years ago, I believed it was perfectly ok to go out and grab cracked software and music files. Gradually, I've gotten older and wiser, I hope. Now days, I never visit file sharing sites, and I generally buy a CD or DVD if I need to hear a favorite band or watch a movie.
I asked a friend of mine, let's call him "Unrepentent", what he thought about downloading pirated software.
From Unrepentent:
First off, I don't think it is appropriate as a main topic for your site, because it's not really about free stuff. Personally I don't regard it as Stealing exactly either, since I'm not using it to make a profit, but a victimless-crime IS still illegal, and if the various not-quite-free-wares (Trial-ware, Cripple-ware, Demo-Ware) aren't free, then Pirated warez definitely aren't. You do however often address off-topic concerns, especially when they address internet security & safety, or are common or hot topics.
Caveat --- You REALLY do NOT want to come across as advocating it. Heh, even an unrepentant old Pirate (A-a-a-a-arr!) doesn't do that. I freely acknowledge that what I am doing is wrong, but I'm okay with that. Anybody who follows my footsteps should be okay with it too, or shouldn't do it. Thanks to you and other members of the Free Software Movement (including myself), there are a lot of free options for most things. With a very few exceptions, the recommendations I make to others involve freeware and Open Source, and they more than suffice. In fact, I do much less pirating these days - it's just not necessary, I can usually find something free or open that does what I want that's just as good.
Not always though...
Sometimes I need to check out THE app in order to know what to look for in a free one, or whether it's the right app for the job. If there's a legitimate rationale for Piracy, that would be it.
Another thing about Pirating apps these days as opposed to finding open or free ones, is that it's often not worth the hassle. I'm not just talking due diligence. If you think downloading ANYTHING these days is risky (and it is), then Pirated stuff is a thousand-fold more risky. You really need to feel comfortable and knowledgable before you get into it. Just like 'Real Life'.
