Comments on: You no longer have my support

By: TBM

TBM — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:53:03 +0000

I think this is actually one of the weakest arguments against software copyright infringement.
The bundle was set up in such a way that none of the price paid need go to the developers, an arbitrary amount of your choosing could be given to charity.
Given that the creators of the work could if you choose derive no benefit they consequently suffer no loss – all we are left with then is the question of whether to donate to the chosen charities. There is no particular reason a person should donate to a given charity rather than one of their own choosing. So if someone downloads a copy without paying then it seems pretty much OK as long as at some point in the future they use some money on a cause they deem worthy even if that cause is themselves.

By: p.daniels

p.daniels — Wed, 26 May 2010 23:52:37 +0000

First of all, I’m not rationalizing anything. I don’t pirate stuff. I personally have no dog in this fight.

Actually, no, that’s not true. Here’s the axe I’m grinding. If taking away J. Random Douchebag’s ability to rip off an indie gaming shop means taking away my right to rip my vinyl collection, then no deal. I’d rather that guy continue to be a douchebag forever and ever than have my rights and your rights and everyone else’s rights stripped of us. Any time that someone says that I have to surrender my liberty for the sake of someone else’s profit margin… well, no. No I don’t.

PS: I’m a longtime reader, even if I’m at best a sporadic commenter. You keep up a great blog here, I really enjoy your “living in the shell” posts. I can’t tell you how many console apps I’ve discovered through your blog. Thanks a million.

By: p.daniels

p.daniels — Wed, 26 May 2010 23:45:20 +0000

Strawman? What the heck? This isn’t some phony argument, this is *what is happening now.* These are the lawsuits that are pending now. The RIAA’s idea of piracy doesn’t need in any way to relate to anything “rational and moral.” It relates to the law, the ones on the books and the ones coming.

To bring it back to the topic here, as I said before, yes it is crappy that someone would steal any indie game, there’s just no excuse for it. But to say that that’s more important than single moms in Minnesota getting sued for 50 zillion dollars… well, that’s ridiculous.

By: Peter

Peter — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:25:32 +0000

I use GNU/Linux because it respects mt freedom, not out of any guilt (aka “sick” feeling) of using XP unpaid for.

By: Peter

Peter — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:22:45 +0000

A bus is transportation with a finite amount of space. It is a service. When you take a bus you use space and resources that are scarce.

It is not the same thing nor “kinda” like the same thing.

By: Mads

Mads — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:40:37 +0000

‘Thief’ will just reignite the whole biblical angle of the debate again.

There us a better word. It’s ‘asshole’.

By: Mobilediesel

Mobilediesel — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:38:27 +0000

That’s right, an identity cannot be “stolen,” either. That is yet another case of words and definitions being used incorrectly. When someone uses another’s identity information, they didn’t steal the identity. They committed fraud.

By: Legion

Legion — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:05:13 +0000

Wolfire, the creators of the bundle, love piracy themselves:

http://blog.wolfire.com/2010/05/Another-view-of-game-piracy

You don’t really have any good arguments, you’re just following your emotions blindly.

http://stallman.org/articles/end-war-on-sharing.html

By: mulenmar

mulenmar — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:51:27 +0000

Fortunately I don’t need to steal XP, because I get enough to level up all the time. LAWLZ.

Seriously though, I was going to post a rather long comment here, but it got rambly.If that’s even a word.

In short, I agree with K. Mandla that being too cheap to even pay a CENT is absolutely stupid, and that pirating something so great is evil. But I don’t think that just because some people want to be evil pirates, we should brand all those who make “illegal” copies as evil.

A longer, and hopefully better stated, reply can be found in the entry I just made to my blog — http://mulenmar.wordpress.com/2010/05/26/arrgh-ye-be-doin-it-wrong/.

By: Arrgh, Ye Be Doin’ It Wrong!! « Doesn't Not Compute

Arrgh, Ye Be Doin’ It Wrong!! « Doesn't Not Compute — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:40:03 +0000

[...] Ye Be Doin’ It Wrong!! Yesterday, K.Mandla blogged about the abysmal, dastardly (my words) pirating of the Humble Indie Bundle, stating to pirates [...]