Software Infringement

I hate it. I admit, I used to do it. I used an illegal copy of Windows XP Professional for a long time. But, without the updating possibility (Microsoft finally got the idea that people were copying their software...only took them 10 years), it was not a safe system at all. And when it got hacked by spyware, it was horrible not being able to update it. So I gave it up and blew all of my hacked software up.

Why, you might ask? Well, I finally came to a stark realization - their business is very similar to mine. I am an engineering consultant. I sell my ideas and services. How pissed would I be if an owner took my design and sold it to someone else with my stamp on it? Well, really pissed is putting it lightly. Hell, if he used it on a different piece of land I'd be pissed because he could be putting his own safety at risk!

So I took that idea to heart. If I want to own something now, I pay for it. I admit that I try to pay as little as possible (I wait for games to come down in price, I try to get as much freeware and shareware as possible, etc), but I do pay what the writer of that software feels is a fair and just price. That goes for movies, music, etc as well. I know it's tempting. Hell, I can still copy CD's and DVD's all I want still, but it's wrong.

In a twisted way, it's kind of selfish paying for stuff like this. It means that the people who made the software, music, movie will make money and will hopefully make more good stuff with the money, thereby making more money and so on and so forth. It doesn't always work that way but... So it basically means I get to see newer and cooler stuff all the time.

And don't make the argument that it's only a few cents per copy, so it doesn't really affect the person selling it...bullshit! If you look at it that way, can I take one hour of your paycheck every paycheck? It's only a little bit of money...these people work just as hard as you do!

End of Rant (can you tell someone I work with had lots of pirated software on his computer at home? he caught this rant in person, so consider yourself lucky, you didn't have to see my red face and bulging vein on my forehead.)