# Software Piracy



## Ex Nihilo (Aug 13, 2004)

It certainly doesn't seem that bad--it's not like it's going to hurt anyone if I copy of a couple of CDs... and it's not like I could afford to buy Photoshop myself, anyway... so it's not really stealing, right? And what would I do without it?

What lame excuses.

I was immensely enjoying my pirated copy of Photoshop last night and felt the prickings of guilt. I knew I wasn't going to be able to slip that by as a "minor sin" ("hey, it's software piracy, not adultery!") anymore. It was much easier to delete it than I thought it would be. Amazing, since I have a [i:de0c175cf2]long[/i:de0c175cf2] history of copying software, not just for myself, but even burning copies of pirated CDs for my friends. That's over now, thanks be to God. 

Next step: Throwing away the CDs. No turning back.

Has anyone else struggled with software piracy? It's a rather easy sin to fall into, especially since it's quite private; no one at your church is likely to know if you have $2000 worth of stolen software on your computer. And when you're a poor college student, it's very easy to justify it, too. I'm convinced now that it isn't okay under any circumstances (which should have been quite obvious eight years ago when I began my career as a pirate). Oddly enough, I have been convinced of this for a while and have even spoken strongly against it, but I never actually bothered to delete the stuff off my computer ("It's not like it's p0rnography!")

I'm glad that's over. 

--Evie, trading in her nifty eye patch for a clean conscience


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## king of fools (Aug 13, 2004)

... not to mention illegal music and movies that people copy and give to friends.


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## Ex Nihilo (Aug 13, 2004)

[quote:c7ef6c7a3c="king of fools"]... not to mention illegal music and movies that people copy and give to friends.[/quote:c7ef6c7a3c]

To illuminate you as to the extent of my hypocrisy on this issue, I unfailingly stated my opinion that music piracy was not okay, under any circumstances, on a number of occasions. (Though, fortunately, not in a judgmental way--I was usually quick to add, "But then, I have $2000 worth of pirated software on my laptop..." But honest, nonjudgmental hypocrisy is still hypocrisy.) As a matter of fact, I never was a big music pirate, especially since the collapse of Napster several years ago. Once I realized that was illegal, that was pretty much the end of music-sharing. Besides, with music, I knew I could afford it and I knew I didn't have any excuse not to pay for it if I wanted it. I saved my piracy for big stuff, like $1000 software suites and the like.

But it's wrong, any way you slice it.


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## king of fools (Aug 13, 2004)

When I was a kid, we used to have warez parties, where we would get together and pirate games and such. There was even a company called the software pipeline, that would "rent" games. The idea was that you would rent the software, copy it and return it. 

It's interesting how things come full circle. I work for a software company, our software is designed so that it can only be licensed for one server, and if it's moved and loaded onto another server, we have to be notified of it. But, there have still been companies that try it all the time. When they try to break the license agreement and it stops working, they call and complain becuase it stops working.


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## SmokingFlax (Aug 13, 2004)

Yup.

In the past year or so I was convicted of exactly the same issue. It got to the point that every time I came to prayer THAT issue would present itself to my conscience. So I proceeded to trash my copies of Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator, Maya, Freehand...etc. we're talking thousands of dollars here.

It was a tough choice to make from the perspective that I am currently a struggling artist trying to nickle and dime my way through school (for computer graphics no less) and there is NO WAY that I could possibly afford ALL of this stuff at this time. I have since only been able to legitimately obtain an old version of Flash.

It was, however, an easy choice to make when I considered the wrath of God against my unrighteousness in this -I got feeling like I was an Achan or something. The peace of a good conscience is more than worth it -especially considering that I obtained them for free anyway. I came to rest in the doctrine of God's providence in this -seeing that if and/or when God sees fit that I should have these things then he will certainly provide for it in a righteous way that gives Him glory. 

It is so easy to fall into foolish rationalizations for this (for me). I thank God that He convicted me of the evil of my actions here.


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## Ex Nihilo (Aug 13, 2004)

[quote:3576fc7137]It is so easy to fall into foolish rationalizations for this (for me). I thank God that He convicted me of the evil of my actions here.[/quote:3576fc7137]

I somehow liked to think that I was exempt, since I wasn't making money off it (though, actually, I did do web site work for profit on rare occasions, so even that excuse was completely foolish). No exemptions. Such is the nature of God's law.


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## voided user1 (Aug 13, 2004)

I feel very strongly about pirated software, music, etc. I'm constantly suprised by how few other people understand or agree with me.


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## Ex Nihilo (Aug 13, 2004)

[quote:b3010e827a]I feel very strongly about pirated software, music, etc. I'm constantly suprised by how few other people understand or agree with me.[/quote:b3010e827a]

I suspect the small number of people who agree with you is directly related to the large number of people who have pirated music or software. My favorite excuse that I've ever heard (which is no worse than my own, but much funnier): "But I only use it to download Christian music!"


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