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[Defenestration]

So I was surfing today, and I come across this banner ad reading "One in five pieces of software is unlicensed. Stealing is wrong, report it." or something like that. The link went to The Business Software Alliance. I was entertained at the thought of people spending so much on this site to get the general public to help, when it is in fact the general public that are the filthy criminals. Literally every person I have ever known has engaged in, aided, or abetted piracy in some form. Who didn't use Napster? How many people in the world paid for Photoshop or MS Word? Hell, I know housewives that use R4s to play DS games. I mean, sure, there is the "chance for a million dollar reward," but who is seriously going to point the finger for things that they don't see as criminal?

[yeoz]

I imagine the only people who really report any companies are disgruntled (former?) IT workers who are reporting their own companies for whatever reason.

[Kayin]

To be fair, Adobe particularly expects you to pirate it. I don't think it's unreasonable to think that in a few years, Adobes tools might become free for non-commercial use.

[Shinra]

I imagine the only people who really report any companies are disgruntled (former?) IT workers who are reporting their own companies for whatever reason.

That's the whole point of the site. This isn't a website intended for reporting your friends for pirating games or apps, this is for issues where, for example, a company uses license hacking to pirate 387 copies of Windows 7. It's no different than reporting any other ethics issue you have with the company you work for.

[Royal☭]

To be fair, Adobe particularly expects you to pirate it. I don't think it's unreasonable to think that in a few years, Adobes tools might become free for non-commercial use.

Seriously?

[TA]

I doubt the "free for non-commercial use" part, but yeah.  Adobe's business model is based on selling to companies and universities, and it has a lock on that because Acrobat and Photoshop and Flash and all that shit are standard tools of their trades, and they're standards because everybody pirated copies and learned how to use them.  If people couldn't pirate Photoshop anymore, Photoshop would stop being relevant to commercial art production.

[Kayin]

Its a growing trend for this sort of thing to become free, since the majority of profits come from commercial licenses. A large (if illegal) user base is considered good for business because it reinforced the standard. Everyone wants to use adobe products now.

I'm going to predict this will happen first with flash, as it is running the risk of becoming obsolete. While healthy NOW, Flash doesn't have much of a future. Making the tools free would slow down the adaption of other alternatives (Canvas etc etc). I mean, I doubt we'll just see the whole Master Collection as a free download, but having a free 'essentials'esque version of Photoshop and even Illustrator seems like something that could easily happen in the future.

[sei]

I think AVG had something sort of like this going.  Free copies for home/personal use, but if they caught an update request coming from a corporate IP, they'd email the company requesting it buy corporate licenses.

[Kayin]

Yeah. Though to be honest this sort of tactic is more of an 'underdog' one. Unity is employing it for their 3d web games plugin, but even things like the unreal engine is using it (it's less 'sexy' then it used to be, even if its one of the most used engines). Occasionally people hear this going around for Microsoft Office too.

Adobe sorta has a monopoly on things right now. The only product in it's big name programs is quark express for publishing, but even that is a broken, beaten shell of a program in comparison to indesign now. I think adobe doing such a thing for say, photoshop, would be more to attract people into the field and to their other big products. It's not like adobe is making much money from the casual sector, so it wouldn't hurt. And also the flash thing I said.

edit: More to consider. Anyone here actually have the mastercollection of one of the newer CSs? Do you see how many programs they have now? Adobe is trying to engage in newer markets and making their products free for younger designers to use allows them to get their foot in the door in those industries as well. Right now no one is jumping up and down to use Adobe Soundbooth...

[JDigital]

I paid for Photoshop, but then I use it professionally so I think I'm sort of obliged.

[Miss Cat Ears]

How many people in the world paid for Photoshop or MS Word?

They sell those?

[SCD]

I took advantage of a sale sometime ago in a drug store where they sold office 2k7 home and student edition for 40CDN.  I haven't looked back.

[McDohl]

Yeah, I got my copy of Office 2k7 Home/Student through a military appreciation discount through the base Exchange.  It was a comparable price, I believe.

[MadMAxJr]

If you are a student (or in some cases, simply have a .edu address):

Windows Office Ultimate - $60

Windows 7 - $65

If you are currently in college and participating in at least one computer science related course, inquire with your CS office about MSDNAA, you may be eligible for discount pricing on numerous Microsoft products.  Your institution may also be eligible for academic pricing on Adobe products (Eligibility information, student info at top).

If you're not a student, stuff is hideously expensive.

Edit: Interesting, Adobe student licenses allow you to use the product for commercial use in North America.  From what I've seen this is uncommon for student licenses.

[Kayma]

Edit: Interesting, Adobe student licenses allow you to use the product for commercial use in North America.  From what I've seen this is uncommon for student licenses.

Well, that's interesting. Licensing: It's fun!

My university offers Microsoft Office and the last three versions of Windows for free. The Windows disks are all upgrade only, though, which causes a bit of a headache for people using Parallels/Bootcamp. Our license is written as such that Mac OSX counts as an "existing OS" for the purpose of using the upgrade disks, but they don't actually work that way. Unless you spell this out very specifically to 1800MICROSOFT, they won't even give you the time of day. Also fun!

[Kazz]

it's not that I don't see piracy as illegal

it's that it's so easy to do that it is stupid to pay for anything

[Kayin]

Heh, it really is that simple. Many current software business models are just not sustainable. I really have no pity for companies losing money to piracy. We have companies releasing free products and are making major bank on it. Lets all just think about farmville for a moment and then all vomit in our mouths. And it's not just the immoral, possibly criminal developers like Zynga. Tons of companies are making bank on free to play. Thats Korea's entire MMO market. Play for free, pay for stuff!

Valve has also shown how to make money off the 'traditional' payment model. Featurized DRM that feels logical instead of arbitrary. Matchmaking and friend services. Access to sales that grabs consumer surplus. Companies like Ubisoft see steam and try and imitate it but only copy what benefits them. Thats not how you make reoccurring customers. You gotta be good to the consumer -- not because you're a nice guy, but because it makes money. Google supplies tons of free applications and service -- not because they are the sweetest, cutest guys in the world, but because they designed a business model from the start that would profit from being good to the consumer.

Granted you still don't need to be good to the consumer. Console secondary sales are being fucked with by all those free DLC offers. It's not nice, but at least it's smart. I just can't feel bad for people who use a dated distribution model and then complains that they aren't making ALL OF THE MONEY. You're doing it wrong, get over it.

[Mongrel]

Heh, it really is that simple. Many current software business models are just not sustainable. I really have no pity for companies losing money to piracy. We have companies releasing free products and are making major bank on it. Lets all just think about farmville for a moment and then all vomit in our mouths. And it's not just the immoral, possibly criminal developers like Zynga. Tons of companies are making bank on free to play. Thats Korea's entire MMO market. Play for free, pay for stuff!

Valve has also shown how to make money off the 'traditional' payment model. Featurized DRM that feels logical instead of arbitrary. Matchmaking and friend services. Access to sales that grabs consumer surplus. Companies like Ubisoft see steam and try and imitate it but only copy what benefits them. Thats not how you make reoccurring customers. You gotta be good to the consumer -- not because you're a nice guy, but because it makes money. Google supplies tons of free applications and service -- not because they are the sweetest, cutest guys in the world, but because they designed a business model from the start that would profit from being good to the consumer.

Granted you still don't need to be good to the consumer. Console secondary sales are being fucked with by all those free DLC offers. It's not nice, but at least it's smart. I just can't feel bad for people who use a dated distribution model and then complains that they aren't making ALL OF THE MONEY. You're doing it wrong, get over it.

This.

Part of me wonders greatly how much Adobe would make by completely 180-ing their business model and trying to flog PS and the like for the absolute lowest price possible.

I mean, when you make the most pirated piece of software in the world that's probably an indication that it's possible that you could compete on volume.

[Catloaf]

Speaking of pirating photoshop, since thepiratebay went under, I don't know where to look for it and I really would like to have it so I could potentially (make/edit previous) artwork.  And I have no money to even consider getting it legally.

....

[Kayin]

Demonoid. Or, you know, TBP still. :|