Piracy, warez and You.

[Quixote42]

As a long time Palm User - as well as PC user .. I have download and tried many programs. I had my own crisis of conscience and finally decided to start paying for all the programs I used on a regular basis. I asked myself - is this something I need? Something I am glad is out there? Something I regularly use? If the answer to any of these was yes... I registered.

As a Palm shareware developer (putting a few games/utilities out there) I saw that I got many downloads, but few chose to contribute, so I had to go stop developing things because I wasnt even getting my out of pocket expenses covered (programming environment, new palms to test on - compatability issues).

What do I think is behind this. Part of it is the fact that once software is developed, there is little/no cost to another version. Unlike a CD or a GPS unit, if you take one, you are depriving no one of the one you took. Are you depriving the developer of being rewarded for their efforts - yes. But you are not by virtue of taking it, preventing another from having that particular one. It is an "invisible" crime, where the only person deprived is the person who invested their time and effort into crafting the product you use. I also believe that some of the software companies contribute to things by charging a large amount for something that each part costs them little. I know from my own experience that I am more likely to "pirate" a $150 product than a 20 dollar one. Particularly for those programs that you use once in a while rather than your constant use ones.

From someone who has been on many sides of the piracy warez issue,
Quixote42