My dabbling in cracked software was years ago as well.  The whole concept was fairly new.  Like most of the people (at least most that I encountered) most of the downloading resulted in installing, looking at it for a few days and then ignoring.  The only time I ever chose to use Warez consciously for a software product I actually used was when I used a cracked version of Cubase because it worked better than the one I had paid for.  The dongle did not like my computer and just kept crashing.  I made a conscious decision to go with only legal software once I got to the point where I was making money and have not looked back.  One of the companies that I had used cracked versions of was actually pretty cool about it and said that many of their best customers started off with warez (Sonic Foundry) and gave me a discount to actually purchase the product.  None of this justifies using warez.  I just find the stats seem distorted hwne it comes to the subject.  It's as if the only acceptable way to declare using warez is wrong is to go along with questionable stats like the mentioned "70%" or declaring items that would have never been purchased products as "losses" for the industry.  I think the bigger problem for software companies is that the number of people who can regularly shell out the kind of money they want to charge is limited .  Outside of the big production houses that employ top audio engineers, the sound quality between the bedroom musician using low-cost and freeware does not sound that much different from the bedroom musician who has thousands in plugins.

Hey guys,
 
The thread has departed away from what some weird dude OP maniac started, and that piece of dust is in some manner sorry for even opening this vague, shades of gray can of worms.
 
Warez programs, cracks are everywhere. Waves ultimate 10,000 dollar suite is available for free with a mouse click.
 
Thief has instant access to programs not paid for. As overpriced as as Waves prices are, they set their price and we either buy or not buy. There is no moral argument to download and use the cracked suite because it is too expensive, or the often heard defective argument that a cracked software is cyber bits, and not hurting anyone.
 
My frail argument/question is, that with the constipated restriction and terminal back peddling of companies who control and eventually screw you for extortion... Not companies who will help you out on the next business day when the authorization goes south...
 
Is there a perceived moral issue with securing a keygen that hasn't turned your computer into dust to secure the integrity of what you have "morally" purchased. Know it is illegal, but is it immoral.
 
John
 
edit...spelling and syntax

Had something go south with various versions of Sonar, two times over the past years. Required reinstallation of the program due to whatever I had destroyed with registry cleaners, or who knows what I did to crash it.
 
Reinstalled, put in the serial number and was back up and running.
 
Never under any circumstance have shared or given away my serial for Sonar.
 
Thanks Cakewalk. Your trust is deeply respected, and the license is secure as if in Fort Knox. Never needed online activation or an ilock to secure against piracy.
 
John

I'm also happy with Sonar's (and Fabfilter's) licensing. But honestly the Waves/Overloud/IK Multimedia thing doesn't bother me too much either. I keep them on a small USB stick that fits in my wallet. I still actively avoid iLok though, I don't like their policies and their software is really invasive (speaking of viruses).

dubdisciple
My dabbling in cracked software was years ago as well.  The whole concept was fairly new.  Like most of the people (at least most that I encountered) most of the downloading resulted in installing, looking at it for a few days and then ignoring. 

If you were downloading, the concept wasn't new anymore. Does anyone remember the "Crazy Bits" cd series? They were cd's full of warez that came out every month or two. They were handled like drugs in the sense that you had to "know a guy who knows a guy" and it was never clear where they actually came from :)

When I mentioned viruses, I specifically meant pro audio software. A copy of Nero once tried to eat my computer. Luckily I caught it in time. Still, even if it's five percent or less, it's another good reason not to use that stuff.

I wouldn't trust cracked software, either. Moral issues aside, it's too risky.
 
Unless I've cracked it myself. And I have had to do that for some (purchased) non-music software from defunct companies that I needed to re-install. Because of that, I have become very, very picky about what development tools I buy.
 
And that's the ultimate consequence of oppressive copy-protection schemes: fewer sales. I will never buy another Waves product; their emails get deleted without reading. When Amplitube refused to re-install, I stopped using it. I'm reluctant to buy anything that uses Native Instruments' "service center" authorization because it can be a PIA. 
 
Someday vendors will figure out that offering user-friendly copy-protection is a competitive advantage. FabFilter and Meldaproduction make up the bulk of my go-to plugins now. With Melda you not only get a simple license file that can be backed up and easily re-installed, you also get free updates for life. Melda is therefore my first stop when I'm shopping for a plugin.
 
License files work. It's what I use to protect my own products. Each customer gets a unique license file that identifies them specifically. If a bootleg copy ever shows up anywhere, I'll know exactly who to sue. But I've never had to in the 21 years we've been in business, and probably never will. The protection never gets in anyone's way, but subtly lets them know that the software is tied to them.

My brother is always saying "Why do you buy that stuff...you can get it for free"
 
My answer is "It's illegal" and "it's immoral"   I have a strong belief structure that 
says "Thou Shalt Not Steal" and "Thou shalt not bare false witness" and many other
fine noble qualities to which I desire to attain.  Fair is fair, right is right, wrong is wrong,
and never the twain shall meet.

Many justify it with "well the companies just rape you" to which I respond "2 wrongs
don't make a right".  Let the company bare the burden of their "greed".  I have to follow
the law, until such time as that Law may impinge upon my "Moral Obligation to God".

I also feel it necessary to "stand for the downtrodden"...which most people don't seem
to like.

That's me...not preaching...just saying....most have no "moral center" and feel it's ok...
as long as they get what "They want" that is their justification.

I guess I should correct that to " it was a new concept to me". I realize piracy has existed even before internet was popular. I was pretty naive to a lot of things. Not one of the things I downloaded had viruses on it but that made it no less right. I guess my point was that if the industry is going to rely on misinformation and exaggerated stats, then its battle is that much harder. I don't think anyone here hastried to justify or defend use of pirated software. Just made honest statements about past usage. Yes, I once stole something. Yes, I did regret it. The companies involved totally shrugged it off and are glad to have me as a customer. Life goes on

John, I'm actually deeply sorry I made any comments at all regarding piracy at all becaue I inadvertently helped give Larry another chance to give another variation of the rant he seems determined to post in every topic now. My apologies. I have eventide plugin. I figured I would do an image before install if I found the ilok stuff impossible to cleanly remove. Good plugin but it does underscore the fatal flaw in attaching extra items to software functionality outside of the software itself. When it works it is ok I suppose but when it fails it fails miserably.

You do not own the software you purchased.  sorry, you don't.
 
You have purchased a license to use the software you purchase.  The Terms and conditions of the software are included in the License agreement.
 
software licenses are not in purportunaty, they are limited use.
 
so many people check the little "I have read the license agreement and agree" button but never take the time to read and understand WHAT they are agreeing to.
 
Buying software and using a warez copy is still illegal and violation of the software company's rights - usually a violation of the license agreement it states that it can not be reprogrammed and is only for intended use.
 
many think "well I bought it - I can use it forever - I bought the software", well that just is not the case.