Way to reduce Piracy

[Anonymous]

Hi everybody,
I was just thinking how to stop piracy. The first question is why do you want to get a pirated copy? It is because they are costly and we just want to have it. I think the price of the software has to be reduced if many are buying it. The advantage will be the software company can know how many are selling and try to make it better and better.

You know we have now indian edition books which are affordable. This has really changed the whole thing of xeroxing the books. Now people buy them. Donot you think it will be the same with the software. They should give a good manual with the software and many other things like online updates or they give the updates for free from the shop, and discount on other software if you become a member.

Many of us play games and we need a full version to enjoy it to a maximum extent. Make the price of popular games to something like Rs 75 or even less.

Just imagine if there are 10 people who want to play a similar game and it cost around Rs 400. So people will try to get it from somewhere. Now reduce the cost of it to say Rs 75, I think all the people will buy it. So it is Rs 750, and the game company can keep a count of number of players ( advantage to them ). I think reducing the price of the softwares will bring down piracy and the company can get a profit and can estimate correctly the number of users.

I think the price of each song should go from Rs 1 - max of Rs 10. The songs should be of high quality, so that people buy it.

I know many people have the software in their machine even though they do not require it because they think that it will be difficult for them get it later and keep lots ! of junks in their machine. They hardly know how to use it. The tension of getting the software should be nill. He should be able to get it when he needs it from the market at affordable price.

I was just thinking if Digit could do something about this. Like it can have a sub site where you have different softwares listed and people can say that they want to purchase the software. Then Digit can approach the particular software company and ask for a reduced price and say look here so many want to buy it. They are ready to purchace the licence copy if it is made affordable, and want to reduce piracy.

Software people are trying to make it more secure. But still people bresk it. There is no need for such high secure stuff when people can buy it.

I would like to know what you Digit and other people think on this idea.
It will be great to know each person's view. If they have good suggestion please write back.

Make life simple..

--venkatesh

[sAr]

hi venky
just wanted to say that the Rs. 75 legal game cds are not gonna happen. so is the same with other softwares. n personally, i believe in open source, so try using as many freewares as possible and if u 'HAVE' to use some pro tools, there's no better option than pirated ones(unless u got some money tree cause even smaller softwares like Winzip cost around 40 dollors => ~ ~ Rs. 1900). so go open source, n don't worry bout big corporates losing money.(imagine saying i won't use that pirated windows cause then microsoft will loose 3500 bucks, ha!) :twisted:

[Nishant]

its india baby..its india...

if u can get a cd for rs.10.. den also ppl will buy pirated cd for rs.2 heheheheheehhehe

[Sumeet]

The software companies will NEVER reduce the prices! So, End of Discussion!!! :lol: Anyway, the only thing companies can do to prevent piracy is bundle their software with the branded PCs and with hardware stuff such as monitors and HDDs.

[svenkat83]

The third option is the one of the way out.
Sumeet's idea is nice.That may be the only other way.
By the by I just want to know who R the people who sincerely want the piracy to stop.
Surely I don't belong to category.
Even if they reduce it to a mere Rs.200 will people buy?
I don't think so if an free pirated version is available.
That's what is happening to Music industry.We don't buy ACDs that cost mere Rs.95 instead we share it. I'm really sorry if U buy ACDs.
Eventhough one must feel sorry for them ,Its their fate or may be curse.

[billboardhunk]

Have you guys thought of another option Legalising Piracy... In Netherlands and Canada, you can legally buy Marijuana.... In certain Far east countries Prostitution has been legalised.... so why not legalise Piracy in a country like India....

[billboardhunk]

Have you guys thought of another option Legalising Piracy... In Netherlands and Canada, you can legally buy Marijuana.... In certain Far east countries Prostitution has been legalised.... so why not legalise Piracy in a country like India....

[BONZI]

Reducing the price may help a lot than the other Ideas. No one actually likes to be underground. If you get it cheaply then most of the ppl will buy the original cds

[super_ferrari]

its india baby..its india...

if u can get a cd for rs.10.. den also ppl will buy pirated cd for rs.2 heheheheheehhehe

u r right...but this tendency is to be seen all over da world...so do'nt brand indians of being kanjoos

Piracy is everywhere dude...not only in india...majority of the crackers are russians, germans and offcourse da americans dem selves...

yeah venky i agree vth u ...reducing da price will help da sales of software companies...cause something is better den nothing....actually i agree to sajal who adviced me to buy legal Visual Basic...but da problem is sajal dat if i do buy dat legal CD....just assume okay can't afford it....den my very close friend will ask for it....den his friend will ask for it and it will go on n on n on....cause not everyone is like u... including me to be frank :wink:

[nirubhai]

F U WANNA STOP SOFTWARE PIRACY, GIVE IT FOR FREE :wink:
SO SIMPLE!

<<< LONGLIVE OPENSOURCE >>>

[Nishant]

we indians dont hav time to crack.. so only germens n russian crack ..n we exploit,

[Nishant]

we indians dont hav time to crack.. so only germens n russian crack ..n we exploit,

[super_ferrari]

we indians dont hav time to crack.. so only germens n russian crack ..n we exploit,

check out my Personal message :wink:

[abdulabby]

u dont get open source games , do we, huh??
Did u know that microsoft's got a 85% margin on its windows product??Now taht is too much of exploiting.

[coolcrook007]

I am with nirubhai and nishant
in india every one goes for cheap inc. me so u have 2 give 4 free 2 stop piracy

[TheMask]

Pretty late to be replying here....

I was just thinking if Digit could do something about this. Like it can have a sub site where you have different softwares listed and people can say that they want to purchase the software. Then Digit can approach the particular software company and ask for a reduced price and say look here so many want to buy it. They are ready to purchace the licence copy if it is made affordable, and want to reduce piracy.

Why would Digit, or anyone for that matter do that? This will be more of a "free service" for the betterment of the community. But, do u think Digit, or anyone else, has the time and money for such thing? I think not! I am saying this b'coz there is no returns to gain from it, so why would anyone bother. May be what we need here is a non-profit NGO.

They are ready to purchace the licence copy if it is made affordable...

Lets assume for a moment that Digit actually takes up ur novel idea and approaches Microsoft... U know what will happen? Microsoft will most likely be very diplomatic and say "We are a global player, so we will have the prices of our software same through out the world."

Think i am kidding? thats what MS told Thai officials a few days back.

The Thai Govt came up with a Grand scheme in which about a million computers were to be sold at subsidised prices to generate and propagate computer literacy among its citizens. For this The Thai Govt approached MS for subsidised OS price. But, Microsoft refused to budge from its "policy" of maintaining the price equality everywhere. So, instead, Thai Govt decided to go ahead with Linux. Then, MS learnt about this news and actually offered thier OS at about 85% discount!!! can u believe that? Anyways, Thai Govt decided to stick with the Linux platform. Way to go!

SO the bottom line is - Even if Digit or someone gets things organised and then approaches the software giants, would they really appreciate this novel idea and do something about it? i guess not!

[girish_b]

but anyway piracy will be happening

[tuxfan]

Howsoever low be the price, as long as it is not free, people will try to get a pirated free copy :roll: So I voted for the second option of making it more secure. :)

[girish_b]

that's true buddy
i also voted for the second

[godzi_85]

if piracy was`nt there... i don`t think computer would have become such huge part our lives at least for now....
which suker does`nt get a pc assembled for 35k and then goes and buys a pirated copy of win xp!! sometimes the pc guys give it for free!!
now a days you`re getting a pc for around 13k!! and consider this you want to buy win xp(original) costs a bomb 3500!!!
get a pirated one.. get pirated games....get pirated software... i wonder if we `ll start getting pirated hardware!!! or something like that...

[tuxfan]

There is a lovely article in the July issue of Linux For You. It says "Enemy of my enemy is not my friend". The writer gives a lovely narration of how piracy hurts both the Proprietory software and the OSS software.

In a nutshell, if piracy would have been more difficult, there would have been many more people using Linux. So because of piracy, microsoft loses revenue and linux loses users adapting it. How true!!

So all assembled PCs would have carried Linux and it would have become more and more popular. This precisely is the reason why microsoft is not being too aggresive against individual users who don't pay for Windows :roll:

[blade_runner]

Who dug up this old thread ??

[cooljeba]

Tuxfan i read that article too. Infact piracy is the biggest enemy of linux or other oss.
Anyway what is piracy don't we get the os free with the hardware ;D .
Ok u guys keep taking piracy, piracy.... have u ever tried to use OSS that are equivalent to it's paid counter part
for eg.
photoshop == gimp
winzip === 7zip
MS office == open office
Vc++ == Dev c++
blah blah...
anyway something never expires something does get pirated ;D
Someone said ;) games for RS 75. Hey did u know the indians are not considered as a serious games??? So how can anyone expect a reduce in cost??? and about making it hard to crack well let me tell u that is next to immposible so i chose the option no 1 :).
..:: peace ::..
jeba

[ujjwal]

its india baby..its india...

if u can get a cd for rs.10.. den also ppl will buy pirated cd for rs.2 heheheheheehhehe

One of the forst words of wisdom I heard Nishant say ;)

BTW, I voted for first option, I believe it will reduce piracy a bit, but not completely remove it.

[It_is_Andrew]

blade_runner worte :
Who dug up this old thread ??
Well! whoever did it , it is always better than starting a new thread on the same topic. :wink: :)

Now coming to the topic: There is a real confusion about softwares & their piracy among common people. still many people don't even aware of that they are using pirated versions of softwares,they take it granted to be provided free with computers by local vendor--- and its true. :wink:

personally I don't think that the software companies r going to decrease the price (for many reasons :D ).But will piracy stop if they actually do it :?: many people here thinks that it would not help much.But I think making the softwares affordable will certainly help-- certainly the pirated ones will always be available at cheapest prices.but buying the original softwares has many other added benefits.someone just have to inform people about that,and good free alternatives should always be provided to those who really can't afford it anyway.

Making the softwares more protected will do no help ,in the long term. Because there r numerous people allover the world who will always comeup with new methods of breaking it invariably sooner or later. :D :lol: :lol:
so I voted for the first one. :D

[anidex]

Reducing prices is only one part of the equation. Obviously developers cannot reduce the prices of their products tenfold. They can reduce it, but only go so low.

The next part of the equation is the Indian mentality, which is slowly changing though. "Why go for something good that costs 100 bucks when you can get something cheaper for 99.99 bucks?"! With that kinda mentality, piracy will never go away.

As godzi_85 said, people are willing to pour 35k on a slick computer but turn away from getting a legal copy of Windows XP, for example. Now this is really sick.

[blade_runner]

blade_runner worte :
Who dug up this old thread ??
Well! whoever did it , it is always better than starting a new thread on the same topic. :wink: :)



I know mate but whats the point of discussing a topic that has debated over earlier and buried.

And u know which post revived the topic.
but anyway piracy will be happening , which is pretty ridiculous in the first place. Neways u guys keep debating i have no probs against that.

[Nemesis]

well i voted 4 a price reduction. c, whatever they do 2 make their products secure, ppl will find a way around it. and it's almost impossible 2 catch every1 who pirates software. piracy wont stop until everything goes open source. but reducing prices will help.

[tuxfan]

We have forgotten one option here. How about a strong anti-piracy drive by the concerned departments of the governemt? A fear factor would surely cure most of the problem (if at all piacy can be called a problem in India ;))

[firewall]

well, software companies may try "Dual Licensning". like mySQL AB and other company is doing. they have released theit product such a way that if you use it for non comercial way, u r free to use it without paying a single buck. but if you wish to use it commercially u have to purchase that software.

:)

[tuxfan]

In that case, all the users will keep saying that they use it for non-commercial purpose. Only a survey/raid at the place of use can reveal the real use. :roll:

[Wizard]

Guys....My Vote is obvious



By making it more secure or hard to break.

Coz

Jus Imagine...we get a CD for Rs 13...only cd...whereas we also get the same cd in a box for Rs 30

we prefer...?? the Rs 13 cd..so its jus this thing which comes in...even if its Re 1 cheaper we go for that...:)


So the only POSSIBLE SOLUTION IN THE MARKET POINT OF VIEW IS TO MAKE CDS WHICH CANNOT BE COPIED....



OTHERWISE BAN CD WRITERS

[Deep]

hmm make cds which cannot be copied..
well it wont be possible..and if anyone does then there will be crack for that also..

make things free for home users or may be keep rates low so that users can buy it..

if they cant buy it then keep option which allows to rent the OS from MS i.e. buy licence for 1 yr at around 500 rs or something..

i am dead sure many people will go for it..

you can stop piracy by banning anything..you have to make things more flexible.. :)

Deep

[Wizard]

Yea Deep ...totally agree with ya...but this Rs 500 subscription should come out with somethin like Free Updates and service packs for the Subscibers...even books can be given...Jus to make sure they goto this plan

But since Cracks are easily available , there will be people who still prefer getting a pirated OS and installing .

So wht i want to convey is that ... the MS or any Firm should adopt certain ways and make the people come on their side



Whts the Point selliing Adobe Products for 30 K each ...when we can get the entire adobe set for Rs 30 ...;)




And for ur last option in Poll , No chance they can start that,,,may be in shops...but for Home PC's no way...if someone of tht sort raids ur house , wouldnt I know that ??

[Gaurav]

Reducing the price is not gonna help much but making it more secure will. Let the hackers know where they stand.

[Deep]

actually adobe and all are for doing b'ness
making money..

i know its slightly high price but its like paisa wasool thing..

and people like adobe and all dont care about the home users or small companies..

they know that 90% of the big companies buy their softwares and that what they want..

they are earnling a lot in that and at the same time they are giving something worth 30K..

yes crack and all will be there all the time but think like that..
currently xp pr is 7500rs and its damn costly and everyone knows that almost evrery year new OS releses so ppl think why to pay 7500 rs for 1 or 2 yrs..so ppl search for pirated versions than buying the copy..

but if it was like 1000 rs for a yr then less people will go for pirated versions..

piracy cant be stopped totally but it can be reduced this way..

and making more secure thing is like ongoing process..new loopholes are gonna come every other day.. so i think reduce the price will lower the piracy..

Deep

[gxsaurav]

Go here http://sauravx.joeuser.com/ My blog about Piracy in Asia

[medpal]

only way of reducing piracy is reducing the prices.
that is the only way by which we can make people buy the original softwares.

i also suggest they should allow 2/3 simultaneous installations so that students can afford it together. who uses all the softwares all the time.

like adobe @ 5000 and 2 installations will make it affordable for the designing students and thats damn cheap if you are a professional in that field. and os prices should be kep[t minimum possible i would suggest 1500-2000 range for outright purchase for home and 3000-3500 for professional version.

[tuxfan]

Nice blog gxsaurav. However, I do not agree somewhat. Linux is free. Or if you want CDs, it is available for a very low price - about Rs. 100. But how many are actually using it? It is as good as windows, if not better. Only thing is that for people who are used to windows, it takes time to familiarise.

Cost is not the only deciding factor. Here if the official version is available for Rs. 600 and an unofficial for Rs. 500, majority of people will go for the latter even is they can afford both.

Price reduction is not the only thing. A strong drive again piracy will be very effective. Micro$oft can be strong against pirates. Why is it not doing so? Because it fears that people will then go for Linux.

[techie_it]

dude...
will u buy some S/W frm the market..when u can get the same stuff @ much lesser price...rite outside the same shop from where u buy the S/W ...huh???will you???its INDIA...BUDDY.........
KEep :D

[Deep]

Cost is not the only deciding factor. Here if the official version is available for Rs. 600 and an unofficial for Rs. 500, majority of people will go for the latter even is they can afford both.

Price reduction is not the only thing. A strong drive again piracy will be very effective. Micro$oft can be strong against pirates. Why is it not doing so? Because it fears that people will then go for Linux.

actually i wont agree here..
if you reduce the price piracy can be reduced but it cant be like 0%

see there is a logic..

xp is 7500rs - 2 guys out of 100 buy it.
xp lincense is 1000 rs a yr - 20 guys out of 100 will go for it..

so they get new 18 people after reducing the price..
so that way they can reduce the piracy..

see there will be people who are not intersted in spending penny on any software but at the same time there are many people who wants to go for legal softwares but price is killing them..

and after this software companies can be strict againts the one who use pirated software..like blocking updates and all..

Deep

[tuxfan]

Yes, reducing the prices will reduce privacy, but won't stop it. I re-read the title of this thread. It says "reducing piracy" and not "stopping piracy".

Anyway, what I mean to say is that price is not the only factor that is responsible for piracy. There are many factors which will influence it. Price is just one of them, not the only reason. But a strong drive against piracy by software companies as well as government will surely reduce piracy. But because of Linux, M$ is not going too strong against individual users. If they do, piracy will reduce and also the number of windows users.

[girish_b]

yes it's true piracy can never be stopped

[anusoni]

PIRACY CAN BE STOPPED .... EVEYBODY GO OPEN SOURCE !

[Deep]

PIRACY CAN BE STOPPED .... EVEYBODY GO OPEN SOURCE !

then Leeching and ripping will start lol

there are many experts who can rip the same code and change the makeup
haha

this thing can never be stopped but it can be reduced fro sure..

Deep

[anusoni]

man we should abandon the whole system of money, as star trek people used to say, we should work for the betterment of the human race, if everything in the world was free, there would be no theives, no bank robbers, no pirates, the only reason people would work would be to better the human race, to evolve :) I reeeeeaaaallly like this idea .

[girish_b]

but waht the developers will do?

[anusoni]

the developers will evolve, most open source programmers and code gurus program to challenge themselves, to go into the next generation of programming, :) well they'll do exactly just that ..

[shaunak]

making it harder to crack only means more trouble for the paying customer(look at windows xp)

catching piraters also will not help as aslong there is a demand for pirated stuff piracy will continue.

thus only method cut the problem at the bud, reduce price.

[icecoolz]

WTF!!!! dude...are you crazy!! did you even bother to check what the date is on the last post b4 posting ???? 3rd August 2004!!!!! :shock: mate stop bumping old posts...ur just cluttering up the forums!!