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Single Software Licence Shared 774,651 Times
nk497 writes "A single licence for Avast security software has been used by 774,651 people after it went viral on a file-sharing site. Avast noticed that a license for its paid-for security software, sold to a 14-user firm in Arizona, was being distributed online. Rather than shut down the piracy, the company decided to see how far the software would spread — it's since popped up in 200 countries, including the Vatican City. Now, the company is turning it into a marketing opportunity, with a pop-up encouraging users of the pirated copy to download a legal copy of the free or paid-for version. Avast isn't sure how many pirates have gone legal, but said some have made the switch."
Well, that’s a good start, I guess.
Distributed Denial of APK: It takes 15 seconds to reply to him anonymously, but wastes tons of his time if we all do it.
Amazing how that works.
Cue 4,000,000 slashdot posts how this proves, objectively, with 100% accuracy, that software piracy does zero economic harm and is actually beneficial to everyone involved.
FCKGW-RHQQ2...
I used to get high on life, but I developed a tolerance. Now I need something stronger.
“We found our licence code at a number of warez sites around the globe,” said Vince Steckler, chief executive of Avast Software. “There is a paradox in computer users looking for ‘free’ antivirus programs at locations with a known reputation for spreading malware.”
The pirating of legally-free software never ceases to amuse me...I know the licence is for a "paid" version of the program, but still, for personal users, the "free" version is more than sufficient. That being said, Avast's response to this has been PERFECT.
Living With a Nerd
As it turns out, when asked, all 774,651 people were "just trying out to see how it was before they bought it."
I am somewhat interested in how many people will actually pay for a license; this might be a good way to estimate how many people who download unauthorized software would have paid for the software in the first place.
Palm trees and 8
people cheat when they think they can get away with it.
Your post was completely unrelated to mine, yet you replied to me. Did you think you’d get away with that?
Anyway, to respond more to your point, yes – people cheat when they think they can get away with it. However, pirating software that (by definition) phones home is... sort of... especially dumb. By which I mean, you’re unlikely to get away with it.
Distributed Denial of APK: It takes 15 seconds to reply to him anonymously, but wastes tons of his time if we all do it.
At least 774,641 searched for the file (wanting to pirate it) and found this copy first. If this copy was not there, 774,641 would have searched for the file and found what was otherwise the second result for said software. What we can say is that 774,641 pirated the software, not that the uploaded caused it to be pirated 774,641 times.
I'm trying not to condonng the pirates or sympathizing with the software company. This is just (hopefully) an objective observation.
The RIAA would extrapolate 774,651 equivalent illegal downloads as $11,619,765 in lost revenue - and then go to the courts.
you know, like the old days, when code was in magazines, and you could use it free. you could patch it or turn it around yourself, and learn something useful reading the stuff you didn't want to type in.
and the Avast folks have a list of the files in Windows handy, so they don't have rogue updates that brick your system by quarantining core files.
try it, you just might buy it. I did for my last surviving XP machine.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
proof of piracy is not proof of a lost sale
The paradox might be that pirate sites are trusted more by users than antivirus creators.
It's clear that they can see where the license is used on warez sites without spying. But how do they know what countries the *users* are in, and how do they push the advertising to them? Inquiring minds want to know!
--
Given enough personal experience, all stereotypes are shallow.
Even mom and pop stores can get a commission from anti-virus subscriptions. There is a free version of avast, why would they not install it instead?
Vatican does not have a software treaty with the US
That foolish Vatican pirate is simply 10 commandments violator, and we all know what is coming to him..
As Microsoft Security Essentials is offered for free for personal and small business (up to 10-PCs) use, the only reason I can think of to pirate AV software is because you're also pirating Windows and can't pass the WGA validation test. Even then why bother...just use the free version of Avast that doesn't care about WGA validation.
I'm going to go back in my box and will think within the limits of my box: MS Sucks Linux Good I read too much Slashdot.
They are likely grateful that people are using their software rather than the superior (and free) Microsoft Security Essentials. (Yes, MS makes a piece of software that is superior in virtually every way to its competition. Hard to believe, but it's true.)
http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/
Ian Ameline
Also, the "Reply to This" button under the first post is much more prominent than the "reply" link to the left at the footer of the Article text. I've accidentally replied to the first post my share of times. Mind you, the "first post" differs depending on who is reading it and how the replies are sorted for them.
Last I checked the US State Department recognized something like 194 countries. So they appear to have coverage of 103% of the countries in the world!
Rounding error. This is what happens when you let arts majors use computers.
XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
There's nothing special about the software industry. Plenty of industries that offer services not needed or wanted or which can not do so to a degree that the free market can support them continue to survive, thanks to government (tax payer) subsidies. If you have a big union that wields a lot of votes, you're even more likely to long out live your usefulness, without suffering from it.
However, I'm not really sure what any of that has to do with a million people using a commercial piece of software without paying for it. Unlike typewriters, people *need* anti-virus software (well, most of them, at least). Comparing typewriters which nobody wants or uses anymore to a piece of software that everyone wants and does use (just doesn't want to pay a few bucks for) doesn't exactly make sense. The fact that it was copied and used almost a million times sort of invalidates the idea that it's an unwanted service.
So...what's the code they were using anyway? Just curious....
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
forgiveness?
Am I the only one that finds it slightly humorous that people were pirating a product called Avast! ... ? :)
But Avasts free product is pretty good as well, and the only 2 features that the pro version has that the free version doesn't is
Neither of which seem like killer features to me. The free version of Avast does however require you to go to their website and register, enter the licence key into the product and repeat when the license expires.
I wonder if the scale of this pirating shows that people prefer a simpler solution (see Note #1) more than it shows that people prefer a free solution?
Note #1: At least 1 step in the process is removed, the registration step. Possibly the next step as well, the pirate version may not require the install to enter the license number either, although I've not used the pirate version so could say for sure.
These comments are my personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the other voices in my head.
How fitting it be that a bunch of landlubbers calling themselves "Avast" be victims of piracy.
More grog me boys!
You never expect irony, do you?
Want to be a professional wrestler? Visit www.iyfwrestling.com
@iyfwrestling
Or your neighbour’s wife’s ass?
Distributed Denial of APK: It takes 15 seconds to reply to him anonymously, but wastes tons of his time if we all do it.
Hey Vatican, what part of Thou Shalt Not Steal did you misunderstand?!
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
As another poster confessed, I would be hesitant to download any pirated software less out of moral qualms than out of fear of malware. Add to this, the fact that much software does use an Internet connection, even if the software's functionality does not require it. Being always connected has changed things. Software can phone home and does so often. Be it for "update checking" or "license verification", vendors have a better notion of where their software is installed than ever before.
Sure there is firewall software to stop unauthorized Internet access, but now so many applications use the network that there is a lot of noise to signal or vice-versa. These days, when I have a software need, I try to find a (legitimately) free alternative whenever possible.
I'd like to see the usage stats for that one.
It was possibly the most widely used VLK for pirated Windows XP copies. I reported seeing it used on a community college network at one point. Im sure i got that admin into some hot water
Most cheat. Some get away with it.
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
When everyone is doing it, is it even still cheating?
Yes.
Well I can say one of the reasons I switched to Comodo AV for my customers is even though all they had to do was give Avast an email to get a new key they would often end up with an expired AV instead. With Comodo you get a lifetime license so that is one less thing they have to do, so I would have to agree that simple tops free just about every single time. Hell one of my more popular packs is the "make it a toaster" pack, where I set everything to automatic, from scans and defrags to registry and shortcut cleaning. I've found people are quite happy to pay to not have to deal with their "stupid PC" except to do what THEY want to do with it. Now if I could only automate install of third party apps I'd be in heaven.
As for TFA I bet I can name a key that can quite easily top that one: The "WinXP Corporate SP2" key, ala the RAZR1911 corporate key. I swear around 05/06 I think that every third machine that crossed my desk had that key, even those that had a legit XP Home would often end up with that key if they took it to one of the shadier repair shops, because they often had all the patches slipstreamed to that disk.
That is why I still say Ballmer shot himself in the foot by getting rid of the $50 Win 7 HP deal, because more pirates I know switched because of that than all the WGA bullshit. Now that it is back to $100 I have no doubt I'll end up seeing "Windows 7 Ultimate RAZR1911 Edition" machines start showing up on my desk, whereas with the $50 HP they not only turned pirates but they had a captive audience which they could use to try to upsell to Pro and gotten many of us with legit XP machines to switch. At $50 I would have switched this netbox off XP Home, but at $100? A RAM and GPU upgrade is the better deal.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.