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P2P Networks Blamed For Software Losses Doubling
L1TH10N writes "CNET News is reporting that software manufacturers have doubled their losses to $29 billion dollars, according to a BSA survey, which is blaming P2P networks for their misfortune. Seems a little too far-fetched to me - a P2P network would be the last place where I would download software, just too much chance that you are downloading a trojan onto your computer. Me thinks the Business Software Alliance are jumping on the bandwagon and vilifying P2P networks just as the Senate is taking aim at P2P providers."
I download the most software from Usenet, not that I condone that sort of activity! :)
In newsgroups you have many people downloading a single copy of the file, and a method of feedback on the post. You will see people post replies if they find the program infected with a virus, or discover a trojan horse. The feedback makes newsgroups safer than P2P downloads.
"About 36 percent of software installations worldwide are pirated copies, the study by trade group Business Software Alliance and market researcher IDC showed."
And the 36% is no doubt climbing higher by the hour at the moment. I am running a "pirated" copy of Mozilla. Nor to mention the "pirated" copy of Open Office. Didn't Microsoft classify Open Source as piracy.
At least they didn't blame Open Source Software. Then they might actually be right, and we can't have that.
The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
I steal hardware. Not my fault XP was on the drive.
I believe the answer you're looking for is "the terrorists." :)
~~~
We are currently building a data center that will contain all firm data that is to prove the extent of Software Piracy of our members products. The program is referred to as: 'Misapropriation of Your Application Software System' (MYASS). Next Monday at 9:00 am there will be a meeting in which I will show MYASS to everyone. We will continue to hold demonstrations throughout the month so that all employees will have an opportunity to get a good look at MYASS. As for the status of implementation of the program, I have not addressed the networking aspects, so currently only one person at a time can use MYASS. This restriction will be removed after MYASS expands. Several people are using the program already and have come to depend on it.
Just this morning, I walked into a subordinate's office and was not surprised to find that he had his nose buried in MYASS.
I've noticed that some of the less technical personnel are somewhat afraid of MYASS. Just last week, when asked to enter some information into the program, I had a secretary say to me, 'I'm a little nervous, I've never put anything in MYASS before.' I volunteered to help her through her first time, and, when we were through, she admitted that it was relatively painless, and that she was actually looking forward to doing it again. She went so far as to say that, after using SAP and ORACLE, she was ready to kiss MYASS.
I know there are concerns over the virus that was found in MYASS upon initial installation, but I am pleased to say the virus has been eliminated and we were able to save MYASS. In the future, however, protection will be required prior to entering MYASS. We planned this database to encompass all information associated with the business. So as you begin using the program, feel free to put anything you want into MYASS. As MYASS grows larger, we envision a time when it will be commonplace to walk by an office and see a manager hand a paper to an employee and say, 'Here, stick this in MYASS'.
This program has already demonstrated great benefit to the company during recent MPAA and RIAA reviews. After requesting certain historical data, the agencies representatives were amazed how quickly we provided the information. When asked how the numbers could be retrieved so rapidly, our Piracy Statistics Manager proudly stated, 'Simple, I just pulled them out of MYASS'.
Yes, P2P is responsible for all the lost money buy the movie, music, and software industry. It is also responsible for world hunger, poverty, disease, the flat tire you had yesterday, your picnic getting rained out and for your favorite team losing a game.
Every time you post an article on Slashdot, I kill a server. Think of the servers!
Uhh, then you need to actually try some more. One more should do it.
How we know is more important than what we know.
This is in response to the article posted on cnet, the author makes a good point. Over charging for software inflates "losses."o rumID=1&thr eadID=1285&messageID=5862&start=-1
http://news.com.com/5208-1014-0.html?f
Actually, its much much much higher
Posted by: Limewire Anime
Posted on: July 7, 2004, 1:45 PM PDT
Story: Software piracy losses double
I wrote a simple program in BASICA and tried to sell it for $10,000,000,000. Nobody bought it, BUT, I accidentally left it posted to the internet. Somebody downloaded it without asking and without a license. So there's at least ten trillion in piracy right there.
"Jose Cuervo"
So, what's the origin of this 'doubling' claim in the original story?
Found in a Redmond trash can:
So true. Thanks to pirated software, I now have a huge list of things I have found I can't do due to lack of skills or intelligence:
:-)
1. Photoshopping
2. 3D modelling
3. Anything to do with music
4. Programming
5. Most games except for UT (which I bought)
I can however use iMovie, which is free
When they came for the communists, I said "He's next door. Take him away. Goddam commies."
If billion dollar companies can play with numbers, so can I.
;)
Let's see the potential damages done to my unemployed self, had I purchased the products over the past year (on my windows box).
Windows XP Pro: $279.99
Office XP Pro: $147.75
Adobe Photoshop CS: $597.99
MS Visual Studio: $949.99
Nero 6: $84.99
Norton Antivirus 2004: $42.99
Zone Alarm: $34.99
PowerDVD: $59.99
Flash MX: $489.99
Adobe Acrobat: $269.99
=======
Total: 3116.66
(prices taken from amazon.com)
That price is over 3x what I paid for my computer hardware! Also take into account product updates for software you already legitimately own. I would like to know where these multi-billion dollar companies find students who can afford all this.
Of course I could be using opensource applications for most of these, but then the statistics wouldn't look so great