Quote Originally Posted by gearhead View Post
It seems that more and more stuff are pirated nowadays. Be it software, video games, fashion items, car parts, etc.

It is hard for anyone to honestly say that they did not in one way or another actually purchase or even make use of pirated stuff.

Well the country is not exactly a rich country. Some would contend that it is okay to buy orig software for example if they actually priced it according to region.

It is a broad subject and we are told it is a crime. Yet it is everywhere. And it continues to thrive due to its many patrons.

Do you think it is bad? Or is it actually good?

Do you think there are quality issues? Are we entitled to these products even if we do not pay the owner of the rights.

What is your position on this problematic issue?
I'm as guilty as everyone else especially when I was younger. I used to bootleg software for the Commodore Amiga and saw firsthand what happened when developers decided to abandon a platform (because of rampant piracy). I learned a bitter lesson there. So now, I buy all my software and/or stick to open-source, public domain ones.

DVD's...... I generally avoid pirated movies/shows. However when I rent a movie from Blockbuster, I do make an xVid copy before returning the DVD.

Music...... No need for pirating music. Whatever music gets streamed on the internet is good enough for me. I'm no audiophile, not even close. Plus, I record/edit my own mp3 music from the music section of our DirectTV.

Most other stuff..... Nah. I'm not into status symbols. So, little-known brand names are fine for me: $20 sneakers, $5 watches, Walmart shirts/pants, Hyundai car, etc........ I travel a lot too like now (I'm here in Atlanta after visiting Europe). Having less brand-name stuff means less chances of them being stolen----> except laptops. It doesn't matter what brand name a laptop is. People will steal them no matter what brand.