Illegal downloading

[ainsworth74]

Those are exactly what I had in mind when I was making that point.

 

[starrymarkb]

And here is what the CEO of Valve has to Say

"In general, we think there is a fundamental misconception about piracy. Piracy is almost always a service problem and not a pricing problem. For example, if a pirate offers a product anywhere in the world, 24 x 7, purchasable from the convenience of your personal computer, and the legal provider says the product is region-locked, will come to your country 3 months after the U.S. release, and can only be purchased at a brick and mortar store, then the pirate's service is more valuable. Most DRM solutions diminish the value of the product by either directly restricting a customers use or by creating uncertainty."

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Like football players, what you see is the stupid money paid to the "top" performers. Try telling orchestral musicians they are overpaid - yet their work will probably be in most download collections. The jobbing actors with one or no lines - essential to the programme (imagine it without) - the same. All the special pleading you see by downloaders ignores 99.9% of the workers involved

A lot of smaller bands (even with Major Record Deals) have to work a second job in order to pay the bills.

A couple of bands have even urged fans to pirate their album if the import fees on a physical copy are too high (Some US importers charge £40 for an EP, needless to say the band don't very much of that )

Best way to support a band is to go to their shows and buy their merch as they earn far more from that then from Album sales or Airplay

 

[SS4]

And here is what the CEO of Valve has to Say

That guy speaks sense although Valve are not averse to using DRM themselves on Steam*. Plus by releasing an official Linux client they're doing themselves no harm in the eyes of said customers

* I've not used steam but from what I've read it's one of the least worst implementations

 

[Yew]

Generally steam is alright for DRM, especially compared to some of the other abominations ou there, for example Silent hunter 5. You must always be connected to the internet to play it.

 

[ainsworth74]

That guy speaks sense although Valve are not averse to using DRM themselves on Steam*.

It basically take the form of Steam has to be installed and running in order for the game to load. It doesn't have to be online (though normally the first time you run a game it has to be online) and beyond that it has no other noticeable effect. Personally I have no issues with DRM as used by Valve through Steam especially when you get everything else that Steam offers.

 

[starrymarkb]

Generally steam is alright for DRM, especially compared to some of the other abominations ou there, for example Silent hunter 5. You must always be connected to the internet to play it.

and certain Ubisoft games where if you lose the connection for just a few mins the game quits.

 

[Yew]

It basically take the form of Steam has to be installed and running in order for the game to load. It doesn't have to be online (though normally the first time you run a game it has to be online) and beyond that it has no other noticeable effect. Personally I have no issues with DRM as used by Valve through Steam especially when you get everything else that Steam offers.

Yeah, although Im annoyed that Xbox style paid for DLC seems to have creeped onto PC. 15 quif dor 5 maps, two of which are from an older game? No thanks! An add-on pack I would be happy to pay for, with a good amount of extra content, but not if its a pitiful amount only available online.

Edit: I wonder if a PC forum is having a debate about fare evasion

 

[Donny Dave]

It basically take the form of Steam has to be installed and running in order for the game to load. It doesn't have to be online (though normally the first time you run a game it has to be online) and beyond that it has no other noticeable effect. Personally I have no issues with DRM as used by Valve through Steam especially when you get everything else that Steam offers.

Yeah, although Im annoyed that Xbox style paid for DLC seems to have creeped onto PC. 15 quif dor 5 maps, two of which are from an older game? No thanks! An add-on pack I would be happy to pay for, with a good amount of extra content, but not if its a pitiful amount only available online.

Steam's version of DRM is that you purchase a game, it is then locked to your account. As long as you are logged into Steam, you can play it anywhere in the world.

Oh, and don't blame Steam for the price of DLC. 99 times out of a 100 is the developer who sets the price.

 

[ainsworth74]

Steam's version of DRM is that you purchase a game, it is then locked to your account. As long as you are logged into Steam, you can play it anywhere in the world.

Oh right yes, probably should have made that a bit clearer

 

[Phil6219]

I'm not going to say much on the topic. However one thing that really gets me is with TV programmes.

Comedy Central have every episode of South Park on their website for everyone to watch, everyone except those in the UK. Basically a few years back when they started this Sky TV kicked up a fuss as SP is one of the most watched programmes on their service over here, so forced them to ban UK users from accessing the content. It was extremely annoying considering at the time the new episodes were broadcast in the UK months after their initial US release. Things got so bad with piracy (thanks to the myriad of sites which would have each episode for download within minutes of it's broadcast) that the episodes are now broadcast in the UK the following day. This now applies to "Two and a Half Men" and "Anger Management".

One other thing, connected to the above is "The Daily Show", it has a very large archive of it's previous episodes which again can be watched anywhere except the UK. It is extremely infuriating considering that they have extended interviews which are only available online.

King of the Hill is out on DVD, but in the UK they have only released up to series 5. It took Fox a long time to start releasing it on DVD but after series 5 they seem to have given up. So how exactly can I get the other episodes at a reasonable cost? Importing them is not an option thanks to the wonders of Customs... In the end I've given up.

Hollywood seems to have got the message to an extent, they now seem to release films globally at the same time and thus doesn't loose as much ground to piracy. Back in the day there would be weeks before a film released in the USA would be released in the UK, by which point there are bootleg copies available. Sadly the gaming industry lacks a little bit in some areas with some big releases coming out weeks apart.

My gripe for Hollywood is that once they start making original films that are actually worth paying for and stop rehashing classics then they can do without my money, that said as far as I am concerned they don't even make anything worth pirating these days

Just like my music collection my DVD collection consists of stuff from the 80s and not much else

Phil

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

I also remember borrowing LPs from friends and taping them, and as they wouldn't fit on a C60 cassette tape, C90 tapes were introduced (presumably just by an amazing coincidence )

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Yes, I remember doing that from 1970's onwards, and of course the record industry responded with the slogan 'Home taping is killing music' (It didn't)....I have to confess that whilst I participated in such illegality, it was always for music that I couldn't afford to buy...if I really liked the LP then I would buy it. Same a few years ago when daughters boyfriend introduced me to a presumably illegal downloading site...I did download some stuff, but I probably ended up buying far more cd's on the basis of having listened first to a particular band via such a download.
I also realise that I don't understand most of the comments on this thread!!!

 

[jon0844]

Don't forget these for 'backing up' your CDs... https://tapeline.info/v2/tdk-cding-c74-chrome-cassettes.html

Absolutely no attempt to hide what they're designed for, by the name and imagery!

 

[SS4]

Yes, I remember doing that from 1970's onwards, and of course the record industry responded with the slogan 'Home taping is killing music' (It didn't)....I have to confess that whilst I participated in such illegality, it was always for music that I couldn't afford to buy...if I really liked the LP then I would buy it. Same a few years ago when daughters boyfriend introduced me to a presumably illegal downloading site...I did download some stuff, but I probably ended up buying far more cd's on the basis of having listened first to a particular band via such a download.
I also realise that I don't understand most of the comments on this thread!!!

That's the largely false assumption the record companies refuse to comment on. It's spurious at best to state that each downloaded track is equivalent to one lost sale.

As xkcd put it if you pirate something, it's your's for life. Indeed, the ban on transfers means it's illegal to move your music when you upgrade your system.

Piracy (I've concentrated on music) is not going away and there isn't really very much than anyone can do, some people will always pirate because they can justify it to themselves and it's seen as a faceless crime - only the company loses, not employees

• Profiteering by record labels in keeping prices higher than the market values it at.
• The Artist/Band getting a small proportion (if any) of sales.
• Bullying tactics by lobbying bodies (See SOPA)
• Unavailability - song only released in Japan? Pirate it
• Quality - A lot of pirated copies are 320kbps MP3 or even Flac. Amazon don't even tell you the bitrate until it's too late.
• DRM is unacceptably restrictive for legitimate users.

A special mention goes to the now depreciated DRM on music.

I'm sure there are others but so long as there are people who justify piracy to themselves there will be piracy. Most pressing for internet users is to be vigilant in looking out for companies using their clout to restrict freedom for all.

Piracy can't be allowed to be the trigger which sets off a calamitous event similar in mode but not in scale to Hitler using the mysterious Reichstag fire to suspend civil liberties.
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Don't forget these for 'backing up' your CDs... https://tapeline.info/v2/tdk-cding-c74-chrome-cassettes.html

Absolutely no attempt to hide what they're designed for, by the name and imagery!

It's funny because to this day radio DJs still talk over the beginning and end of songs

 

[Jonny]

Don't forget these for 'backing up' your CDs... https://tapeline.info/v2/tdk-cding-c74-chrome-cassettes.html

Absolutely no attempt to hide what they're designed for, by the name and imagery!

Well, you could argue that they're for making your own recordings to cd standard

 

[chris89]

Generally steam is alright for DRM, especially compared to some of the other abominations ou there, for example Silent hunter 5. You must always be connected to the internet to play it.

and certain Ubisoft games where if you lose the connection for just a few mins the game quits.

Gladly Ubisoft have gotten rid of that method of DRM apparntly, as finially listened to PC gamers instead of branding all as pirates. Which means i will now get Far Cry 3 as before i was not going to get it.

It basically take the form of Steam has to be installed and running in order for the game to load. It doesn't have to be online (though normally the first time you run a game it has to be online) and beyond that it has no other noticeable effect. Personally I have no issues with DRM as used by Valve through Steam especially when you get everything else that Steam offers.

Thats very true especially since Offline mode has correctly been fixed. Same as well i have no issue with steam at all and barely notice it running either honestly.

No matter what happens piracy will happen and will not be stopped as will take part in some way.

Can hold my hand up for Music, as others have it is generally much better quality then CDs and quite oftern my friends have sent me songs etc as well.

Games i don't pirate at all really. If i don't like the Developer i won't buy the products from them (unlike some who won't pay and pirate anyway) Those being the likes of Activision, EA and until recently Ubisoft but has changed since Far Cry 3 won't have Ubi-play Always online DRM, that refused you to play if you lost your connection etc.

Chris