I believe that sharing music and other files using gnutella or other clients is something that people have a right to do, and a firm right at that. However, recently on gnutella, i have seen entire <u>Operating Systems</U> downloadable as .zips. This is piracy. I'm tempted to write down those lovely IPs and e-mail Microsoft and the others.
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To those who share entire OS' and entire games (I don't mean Minesweeper, I mean like, the Sims, Force Commander) on Gnutella, you have been forewarned. Are you aware that it's illegal? You may not. But it is.
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You have a very selective moral and legal sense. Trading copyrighted music and movies is also illegal. Perhaps you believe that software engineers and their companies are due their fair share of royalties more than music and movie companies? I say in for a penny, in for a pound. This forum is used to trade anything digital, whether you like it or not.

YOU need to realize that an OS and a music/video file are a LOT different.

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And yes, in a way, i said that software cos. should get more royalties than A/V cos. Now that you bring it up, they do. Cuz all the A/v cos. (Well, most) suck.

You need to get a life.

Ehh, I was wandering,
Would it be ok to share nudepics of Bill Gates ?

It may occur to you, that you might not be able to change that, and if you could, would you want it?
When I wrote down all the IPs of people who have illegal stuff on their computers, I wouldn't be able to ever stop writing.
Through Gnutella the people have to learn that by buying software they support a company.
It will be the choice of the user if he wants to pay for software files etc., but the users will also need to be able to send the company money for the program they downloaded.
To solve the moral dilemma a system should be developed with which one can send money tp anyone as simply as you would give him the coin physically. So the users would not just be able to choose not to pay. It would enable them to choose to pay.
An example are the many shareware programs on the web. I would give the creators of these the money which I can spare, but I can't because I don't want to risk using my credit card (and because it is easier to find the serials illegally).
Allow the User to act as mature as he is, don't bicker about those who aren't. They will get the software whatever you do.

What a joke!!! Don't you think that music, software, and movie monopolies are already writing down IPs? Of course they are!! And what good is it doing them? They are just ****ing into the wind. If they can't stop it do you really think you can?

By the way try running a search for "Officexp" as in the Microsoft Office XP Professional the new office program that Bill bragged about so much saying it was uncrackable, then what do you know two days later is was cracked and uploaded to the net and a week after that was on Gnutella.

Gnutella isn't exactly anonymous, but it takes the heat off the select few that distribute pirated software, now that 50 people are sharing it, it's hard to know where it started, who started it, and if anyone comes hunting you down, simply say you were searching for something like information on'adobe' and you didn't know you accidentally downloaded Photoshop, which is automatically shared (of course). It's not illegial to use Gnutella, so if you don't admit to intentionally doing it (and remove any files they specifically complain about) you don't have a thing to worry about.

Yeah how can you selective criticize copyright violations of software, but not music?

That's why I don't charge for BearShare!

If anything, its the software manufacturers that deserve to take it in the pants!

How can Microsoft charge companies for Windows 2000 Advanced Server, based on the NUMBER OF INCOMING connections it receives (client access licensing)?

That's like Sony charging for its televisions based on the number of people who are going to watch it!

How can Partition Magic charge $249 for Partition Magic which doesn't work on NT Server or 2000 Advanced Server, and make you pay $599 for "Server Magic" which DOES work on those operating systems, even though THE CODE IS THE SAME!!!!

GIVE ME A BREAK!


FYI I heard that backstreet boys generated over $300 million in revenue with album sales, but received less than $7 million for their effort.

copyright infringement is copyright infringment it doesn't matter if it's a $15 song or a $6000 piece of software. I still support the company's and artist that I use and like the most/ can afford to. personally I can't afford to drop $300 on a new version of a piece of software every year. And I don't really want to pay for a game that I'll play acouple times and find out it really sucks. But if it's good and I like it I'll go buy it. it's all a try before you buy. so you don't waste all that money cause this **** isn't cheap.

P.S. Most software companies would rather you pirate their software than buy the competition.