I just wanted to know what you guys think...

If you overlook the legal/practical risks (apps that phone home, bugged torrents, trojan lined rars, legal prosecution if caught, etc)... then I guess it all goes back to your own ethic/moral compass.

Asking for input to shape your own opinion is fine, but I hope it's not just to gather enough 'votes' to justify doing something that you think is 'wrong'.

+1 if you only have a dollar or a pound in your pocket. is it ok to steal your lunch? NO theft is theft.

While I don't see any reason the right or wrong of copyright violation should depend on how much money you have either, that doesn't justify bs arguments equating two dramatically different things.

Theft is theft, copyright infringement is not theft.

Theft is unambiguously morally wrong, because you deprive someone else of their property by force -- now you have, and they don't. (Note that this argument does not depend on the vagaries of government; should a law be passed making it legal for me to steal your lunch, I'd still be a thief, and still be morally wrong if I proceeded to do so.)

Copying information is <i>not</i> unambiguously wrong, because when you make a copy, the original is undisturbed; you have, and they also have. If copying information were equivalent to theft, then it would make no difference that the law sets a definite limit to copyright -- it would be just as wrong for me to copy Gulliver's Travels as a Koontz novel, even though the legal situation is completely different. Copyright is purely a construnct of government, and so is only morally binding because and to the extent that disobeying government is inherently morally wrong (the modern version of divine right; since this is widely disputed, it's unsurprising that copyright infringement is broadly considered morally acceptable.

(Rule of thumb: if it's alright to violate speed limits, it's alright to violate copyright -- they both cause no direct harm to others, they both are violations of a concept created and maintained by government fiat, and "everybody" does them, but is afraid to say they're OK, because that sounds too much like scary anarchism.)

Piracy != Theft

When will people get this straight??? The current IP law in the US is hopelessly broken. The USPTO, time and again, has proven to be incompetent. The rise of corporations has reduced individual rights. The governments and corporations view ordinary citizens as mere gullets that consume products and **** out money. Please feel free to pirate as much as you can. Civil disobedience has a rightful place in a contemporary society.

Yes it is. Especially Microsoft.

It would be interesting to have a poll asking people if they had ever downloaded, used or helped to share a downloaded song or software that would be considered 'pirated'.

Anyone who answers yes would have no right to be all high and mighty about others actions.

The way I see it: if you are using software to learn then it's ok.. If it's for professional use then you should buy it.

For me, using a product in a manner that would prevent a revenue stream from reaching the creators is a strict no. I'm not saying I've never done it. But for the last 10 years, I have not and henceforth I never intend nor expect to.

For students and others who may not be able to afford it: Have you searched for a free / cheaper alternative? Have you asked about Linux?

If after all your research you find that your needs (or your Professor's needs) can be satisfied only by using a paid software, have you asked for student discounts? Have you asked your Professor to provide a license for classroom usage?

If that is still too pricey for you, perhaps its time to pirate... or re-evaluate your options.

Also: Do you really need that product in the first place? Do you HAVE to have the latest Avatar movie before it hits Netflix?

Depends. The simple yes/no won't make justice to the question.

My personal guidelines:

(1) If there's a FOSS alternative, use that.
(2) If the copy is for educational purposes (non-profit, not for keeping), it's ok to try it before spending disproportional amount of my income.
(3) If I have the money, buy it.
(4) If I'm making money with it, buy it.

Disclaimer: I'm not encouraging anyone to pirate software.

For several years now, most of the stuff has been covered by (1) for me.