Software - Register or Pirate?
 

Everyone who has had a computer and not used AOL for more than a year or two has come across pirated software.. everything from simple thumbnail proggies to Macromedia packages (Flash/Dreamweaver/etc) and Photoshop.

When you start out in this business, getting your skills down and such, I'm sure a lot of people used pirated or cracked versions, but at what point do you decide to go the honest route and pay for licensed copies of the software that makes you the big bucks?

Is it commonplace in the industry to be honest and register these products or does no one really care or does no one really talk about it?

someone is feeling guilty,,

hehe.. maybe! Nah, just curious. and of course there are legal issues, I mean it's hard to "prove" that program you used to develop certain images or websites, but nevertheless there are programmers and engineers who are working very hard to develop those software tools, and don't they deserve their slice of the pie as well?

I don't know about anybody else but I have written shareware in the past so I have this thing about registering everything I use.

Also I'm already in the porn business so when they come in and raid me I like to have everything legit.

Call me paranoid but thats the way it is.

Besides if you like a product and you register it that mean the company that made it has more money to develop better products.

Also software is a good write off. My account loves software reciepts

:2 cents:

Good to hear JFP.. having everything on the up and up is certainly one less thing to worry about, and if you have the ball rolling then paying for the software you use, and getting the product support that comes with it, is far and beyond worth it.

For most people this is true... But you will find on this board a shit pot of people that do not think it's wrong to steal music (just ask'm).... Music is the same as software and the same as those porn pictures you buy, with MONEY.

damn.. there's really nothing new under the sun.

I can understand why people use illegal software, the prices charged by software companies are ridiculous. 600 USD for a piece of software is unbelieveable.

Same goes with music, the music industry still does not want to accept that everyone downloads music of the internet because its too expensive to buy everything.

Is it right or wrong?

Not my call to make, the law says its wrong though.

adult biz progs = registered
non adult = cracked

it's funny... you mention a $600 program being a lot.

In my engineering experience, I've worked with software packages that have cost over $140,000 US.. and if you look around, a lot of times you can find a cracked or unlicensed copy floating around.

Heh quick books pro enterprise edition which I use here cost 3k for the registration.

$150 a year for tax updates too.

$600.00 software isn't all that expensive it's a business expense.