From the terms of service for this site, section 3 (m):


Let this be a (very strong) warning.

What is ethics? I figure that if people have the ability to do something that they want to do and doesn't mind (or is unaware of) the consequences, then they will do it.

DarkKnight, it is obvious that you are both ignorant and opinionated, which is both an unfortunate and dangerous combination.

I hope that you will not find yourself in a position where you have any influence on other people's lives until you remedy these deficiencies of yours.

My apologies Dark Knight, but being insulting is only forgiven if you have your facts straight.

Every study does *not* contradict the statement that stopping Piracy will do nothing. While studies by industry groups generally come to that conclusion, most independent studies do not.

So, with apologies, you're coming into the argument being both insulting and a liar. This does not help your cause.

Moreover - your premises show dishonesty from the start - putting extreme strawmen into the mouths of anyone that disagrees with you that have nothing to do with the case at hand.

Now, as it happens, I agree that ideas are more important that matter most often. Which means I consider intellectual dishonesty worse than theft *or* piracy.

So while I do not in fact hold car dealerships hostage to their mpg ratings, it turns out making gratuitous strawman arguments while lying about IP Piracy studies you actually know nothing about is punishable by

Give me a minute, I have a chart . . .

Oh, here it is - being beat about the head and shoulders by a wiffle bat until unconscious.

Or good sense is knocked into you, whichever comes first. Typically with your type, unconsciousness, but we live in hope.

My apologies, I will be sending someone with a wifflebat to your place of residence.

Thank you - Jonnan

What can we do about it?

-make it more difficult to pirate (DRM)

-increase the reward those who don't pirate (updates)

-increase punishment for piracy (this EU internet ban thing)

-reduce the reward for pirating (removing DRM / needing the CD in drive, demos)

-nothing (rely on 'ethics')

Also, LOL at all this fighting

Wow DarkKnight is a scary scary guy!  Thank goodness there are other rational individuals out there to counter his inane ramblings!

You mean the ones who counter law with they can do what they want?

The people who do this usually take about their rights to a judge.

The lawmakers have the same views as me. So does Stardock.

Once again, pm or email a stardock employee and tell them what your telling me.

See how long you last.

Please refrain from speaking for Stardock.  They're fine, thanks. 

I'm with the DarkKnight on this. It's pretty black and white. If it's not yours and you steal it, you deserve to be punished for it. I've pirated software before -mostly due to lack of demos- but I'm one of the few people who purchased the full legit product if it is something I intend to use. If it wasn't, I deleted it.

I can admit that I got nailed for "pirating" software about 10 years ago and the only thing that saved my happy butt was that I had proof of deleting the pirated software within a week of DL and also had several reciepts for "full" versions of software. Not many can say they buy the full product. I'll admit, having my ass in front of a judge scared the piss out of me, but the judge dropped all charges -not so for another guy who got hit with $85k in damages for downloading tons of software and redistributing.

I'm 100% opposed to software/music piracy.

First of all, I'm 29, lifted weights since I was 18. If you came with a bat you'd get your brains beaten out.

Lets not even get into the fact that you'd be breaking and entering, and threatening my life, and my states law allows me to kill a person breaking and entering with the gun I have legally.

You are obviously the defition of a kid. Think you can go around taking what you want? People like these are the reason I own a gun.

With that said, it's a joke your even saying what your saying. You kids are calling me irrational while your crying a river of tears.

Stardock gets it alright they make a product worth buying and sell it and people buy it (lots of people), no need to break down doors waving the piracy flag.

As an aside . . if we can keep the name-calling and personal attacks to a minimum this is an interesting discussion and one that should be important to anyone using the internet.

Let's all just be cool, speak for ourselves, and bring what facts we can.

Carry on.

Anyone who has a problem with what I said, take it up with the people who made theft a crime. Don't start your rivers of tears when someone says it.

Don't start with me. I personally can't put you in prison. I can't get you arrested. I'm warning your stupid ass though, you do it, eventually, you'll go to prison. That's how the current law works. Don't take up how the current law works from someone who isn't a politician, policement, da, government employee, or anything like that.

You wanna bash me for what you do, then I can't stop ya. But good luck.

Now you wanna call what I just said irrantional? Then go live the way ya want. But eventually the law will come for ya.

Don't shoot the messenger kids. Learn rationality before you call people irrational.

100% with ya "TheDarkKnight2008"

omfg... gotta love when thieves get their panties in a bunch because someone calls them a thief. Some people might get a vacation from the forums for being such naughty muppets... threatening someone with real life violence because they call it as it is.

Sign me up for death threats too for saying piracy is a no-no. PM me your IP with the threat too so my friends in blue uniforms can take you away to where your "software" will be pirated and redistributed repeatedly.