Microsoft estimates it lost about $14 billion last year to software piracy - and those may prove to be the most lucrative sales never made. Although the world's largest software maker spends millions of dollars annually to combat illegal copying and distribution of its products, critics allege - and Microsoft acknowledges - that piracy sometimes helps the company establish itself in emerging markets and fend off threats from free open-source programs.
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Member since:2006-04-17
Real convincing, I see all the pirates going out and getting legal copies.
Er, no, not really, no, I don't think you've convinced them at all, and they even probably think that they aren't responsible for the price of software in the world at all, and to any extent they care about your missive, they're just annoyed at you.
If you were to switch to a free open source alternative, you wouldn't be out any money, so how is the pirating costing you money, again?
Member since:2005-07-06
How is a pirate costing me money ? It is a thing called "perception". A software producer will think that he needs to keep the cost of the software high, so he will still be able to cover his costs if a few people legally buy his software. He knows his software will get pirated by low-life spongers, so he has to cover his own back. To do that, he keeps the cost high.
Now, his wonder piece of software might never get pirated, and he sells every copy in use, but when an update comes, the price is still so high, because the author has the idea that there are many more copies in use than he has sold, so to cover his costs, he needs to keep the price high etc..
so, there you have the answer... pirates do cost money to people who do it legally.
Member since:
2005-07-06
pay for them, sponger.
your pirating is costing all of us money, when we have to pay extra for your pirating