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BSA Piracy Study Deeply Flawed
zbik writes "Corante reports that The Economist has blown the lid off the BSA's recent report on software piracy (covered by Slashdot), referring to their methods as 'BS'.
'They dubiously presume that each piece of software pirated equals a direct loss of revenue to software firms.' The BSA has complained that the article is offensive but does not dispute their analysis. Score one for common sense."
Sounds a whole lot like the Bush Administration being taken to task over internment camps... just say "offensive" and pretend it's not true.
I can't read TFA.
While the numbers are likely inflated, the problem of software piracy is still a huge one. In some countries, the majority of software being used is pirated! This certainly translates into significant losses for the software industry.
Let's debunk a few myths:
1)"I wouldn't have paid for it anyway, so it's not a lost sale"
OK, so let's say I go in to get my car's wheels rebalanced (or some other service). When they're done.. I just drive off without paying. Have I done anything wrong? Well, what if "I wouldn't have paid for it anyway"? So it's not a lost sale!
2) "The software is too expensive"
So perhaps you wouldn't buy product A which is overpriced for your needs. But by pirating A, you rob product B and C - competing products that are much cheaper with limited functionality compared to A that still meet your needs - of market share.
The fact is, if you don't pay for the software (unless a license is given for free), then you have no right to use the software. Period.
I am the maverick of Slashdot
1) It DOES make sense. By not paying for services used - in the case above, tire balancing.. in software piracy, coding services of the many hard working programmers that made the software a reality - you rob the people who provide those services of the money they are entitled to.
2) Your conclusion makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. THINK for a minute before writing.
3) The numbers the BSA give are obviously estimates. They have no way of knowing whom exactly is using pirated software, and what they're using it for (otherwise, it would be easy enough to prosecute all of these criminals). The estimates may be a bit on the high side BUT that still does not change the fact that software piracy is a huge problem that really is causing billions of dollars in lost sales worldwide.. all too often I hear lame excuses about the estimate being high, as a way to dismiss that there is any problem to begin with..
I am the maverick of Slashdot
Let's stop with the concept that "Free Software" is a solution. Software written by people whose food-on-their-table doesn't ride on doing it right, and not supported at all or by a cadre of geeks with a "RTFM, F off, TYVM, HTH, HAND" attitude, has to be configured ridiculously before use usually on an OS that also is ridiculously hard to configure for the average user, and bears no relationship with and probably is altogether on a totally different platform than all the rest of their stuff... well, that's NOT a solution.
I like Sun and Red Hat. Fine, use it for free, but don'te expect support. Pay us and we'll ship you shiny media in shiny cases with nice manuals in nice boxes and fess up when we fark up something. But the majority of "Free Software" clearly expresses the old adage that you get what you pay for.
Since Windows apps can be buggy at times because of coder idiocy and management demands for the impossible, immoral, unethical, or demented, usually all at once, but it is EASIER to use and integrate into the existing structure, well piracy will do nicely and if it farks up something, we'll merely go complain about Microsoft on Slashdot and act coy like we don't pirate and curse Adobe under our breath for what Acrobat 3 did to our Win95 machine eight years ago, despite the fact that we stole a copy from work.
If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)
No, she's a real patriot and a hero. Unlike George Wussy Fucking Looser Bush.
You stupid fucking troll.
"turn out to be reasonably intelligent people, who genuninely want to try to do what they perceive to be the Right Thing, for the country, their constituents, and themselves."
And you determined this how?
By talking to them?
Right.
That makes YOU a moron. And them elected politicians.
As an aside, you had the order wrong: it's themselves FIRST, their country second - as long as said country gives THEM more power to push their constituents around - and their constituents dead last - unless said constituents have plenty of money for a campaign donation or a bribe.
Not to mention that you said you encountered "one or two" politicians. Given the Senate and Congress together comprise 535 people, you are basing your conclusions on a sample of about one half of one percent or less.
Which also makes you a moron.
Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!