Can Software Piracy Be Stopped?

bhavesh

Aug 23 2006, 08:39 AM

Sometimes back I had an opinion that all softwares illegal copy and there cracks are available in net, but this is not true. Recently, I was searching for Metastock (a stock Technical Analysis Software, and also very popular among stock analyst) in these illegal sites, but I did not find any of its version, not even the crack.

I think there is some method to stop software piracy, can anybody tell what these companies are doing so their software is not available.

I am suggesting some methods for stoping these menace:-

Search Engines - Everyone starts from here to reach there desired pirated copy. Software firms should pressurize these search engines to stop crawling the sites which contain cracks, keyzens, etc.
Trail Copy - If a full featured trial copy of any software is provided by its owner in the net, then it becomes very easy for the crackers to make a crack for it. So, I think rather giving full featured copy, they should cut down some features in trial copy.
Software firms should check time-to-time to see whether any cracks or serials are available in the net.

Would anybody like to add anything more.

heaven_master_ash

Aug 23 2006, 12:06 PM

Well Friend To Stop Piracy Government Should Take Strick Actions On That Which They dont.

Other Thing Its Not Possible That Any Search For Any Thing And They Wont Get So Its Very Difficult To Stop Piraited things Search.

After That I Can tell U More Then 25% Of The World Web Is Having things Of Piracy Which Cant be Stopped easily So Its Very very Difficult To Stop Piracy..

Galahad

Aug 24 2006, 06:35 AM

Piracy can't be stopped, simply because people will always want free software, and there will always be people willing to provide it... The only reason that Metastock program wans't on that site, is because it's not generalized program...

Crackers tend to put up software that majority of people want to use, meaning Office-type software, different games, and rearly specialized software... I'm not saying it's not available, maybe it just wasn't paying off to crack that program...

What a man makes, a man breakes... There is no perfect protection, and there will never be (aside from distributing a bodyguard with software, and thus preventing people from making illegal copies, by hitting them in the head with a baseball bat, or some kind of a club

)

Gyad

Aug 24 2006, 07:20 AM

You can't stop piracy, where ever you go, online or offline, people will be distributing copies of things to others illegally. Some might not know that it's illegal to do so, some do but still defy the law.

Another thing, the companies don't always go against piracy. If anything, sometimes it helps them gain publicity. If someone likes the program, there's a chance that they will buy it or recommend someone to buy it.

Dooga

Aug 24 2006, 07:35 AM

Although have you seen the recent Windows XP CDs? They have like 10 different messages in one single area thanks to their special CD effects that changes colors and words everytime you move the CD...

icemarle

Aug 24 2006, 09:06 AM

I highly doubt it. People have been pirating since the early ages. Plus, no matter how advanced the "good guys" get, the "bad guys" are always one step ahead of them when it comes to covering up their crimes. I hear about some thing a huge software company did to prevent piracy of their programs... then, I start hearing about how some crackers already figured a way around it. And it didn't even take too long!

Besides, with the fact that it's even easier to pirate stuff now, I highly doubt it's gonna stop. Even some people beginning with computers know how to use cracks, etc... It's going to happen no matter how hard people try to stop it. You can't stop people from choosing to get the same software, file, etc. by paying for it when you can just get it somewhere in the undernet for free without paying a single cent.

bhavesh

Aug 24 2006, 09:19 AM

QUOTE

The only reason that Metastock program wans't on that site, is because it's not generalized program...

I think you dont know about Metastock. Let me explain you, the two top ranked stocks Technical analysis softwares are Metastock (No. 1) and Amibroker (No. 2). These softwares are used world wide and they have high demand too, infact for searching free copy of Metastock I came to know about some people, who have bought it and now want to sell its illegal copy to recover the price. So, this s/w is in high demand.

As I have told in my first post

QUOTE

2. Trail Copy - If a full featured trial copy of any software is provided by its owner in the net, then it becomes very easy for the crackers to make a crack for it. So, I think rather giving full featured copy, they should cut down some features in trial copy.

Amibroker (No. 2) does this, they provide the trial copy which doesnt save the database, only these feature lacks from the licensed version. And you search for its crack in web and will find many.

So I dont think if crackers can provide cracks for No. 2 then why cant they provide for No. 1
Metastock must be doing something to save its software.

QUOTE

Other Thing Its Not Possible That Any Search For Any Thing And They Wont Get So Its Very Difficult To Stop Piraited things Search.

I think if search engine agree ban searching of some keywords then it is possible.

no9t9

Aug 26 2006, 02:00 AM

the main reason why you can't stop piracy on the internet is because the internet is not localized anywhere. nobody really controls it. no one country has jurisdiction over the internet and there is not governing body that has been given the power to monitor the whole internet.

that means the laws only apply to the country the person downloading or uploading is in. if it is legal in your coutnry, you can upload or download whatever you want. If the person downloading from you is from a country that is not legal, then then can be prosecuted.

3-me

Aug 26 2006, 02:22 AM

Piracy can't be stopped. Period.

Microsoft tried stopping piracy by making all their new programs, and updates for Genuine only. That didn't work out.

As soon as the Windows Genuine Validation tool came out, the very next day, people cracked it. No matter how much they updated it, it was still getting cracked.

Personally, I don't have a problem with Piracy. I mean, if someone goes through all that length, just to get a free copy of software, then shouldn't the companies be proud that they made something that works?

Maybe someone isn't the richest person in the world. Yes, Bill Gates, I know it's hard to believe for him, but not alot of people have that much money. So they refer to warez, or torrents, or even Kazaa and Limewire.

Most people don't get why others would go through the trouble of being caught for software that they could buy for $20-$50, but then again, most of those people haven't been in the other's shoes.

ProtoMan

Aug 26 2006, 02:56 AM

Software piracy can't be stopped . Like Webroot , you can only download the uncrackable of their softwares because they will die after 15 days free trial but then , crackers upload the CRACKED full version of Webroot's products to some stupid Warez pages.Even if they make that you can only buy their software , not any trials first , their software will be still free on the Warez pages.Microsoft tried to make the Windows Validation Program but some computers still can use Window Internet Explorer 7 Beta 3 or Window Media Player 11 Beta or Window Defender Beta 2 and more. So I think Piracy software can't be stopped unless there is no crackers

Latest Entries

bhavesh

Aug 28 2006, 06:23 PM

T100 has explained the history, tools and about reverse engineers nicely. Great work.

QUOTE

The reverse engineers at the scene are just so talented.

I think these engineers work at office to make the software crack proof and at home they try to find out the cracks.

QUOTE

There are reverse engineers from Australia to Scandinavia, from America to China, and the tools they develop are getting more and more powerful. People are now using ollydbg and IDAPro to look at the codes directly and tools like softice are extremely user friendly to coders now. There are magazines and books teaching people the art in China and people are picking up the skill much quicker.

As explained by T100 why softwares can't be protected against cracks. I would say, if software companies adopt my methods suggest in last post then they might be able to do so, what do other members think.

T100

Aug 27 2006, 01:41 PM

It doesn't work that way. Software privacy has been there for more than 20 years. Ever since the Internet was made, there are simply no ways to stop people from trading software online. The earliest scene was run on BBS boards on CompuServe, and people are trading cracked software on an early version email system at AOL. And then groups like Razor1911 began to surface. And they become so legendary that people from all around the world are taking part in cracking and reverse engineering. There are reverse engineers from Australia to Scandinavia, from America to China, and the tools they develop are getting more and more powerful. People are now using ollydbg and IDAPro to look at the codes directly and tools like softice are extremely user friendly to coders now. There are magazines and books teaching people the art in China and people are picking up the skill much quicker. On the other hand, boardband has become much more popular and it is not unusual to download an 8.5GB DVD-9 for about 3-4 hours. Software is much smaller compared to a DVD and so it gets transferred by BT easily. There are no ways that these two trends can be stopped easily. People are no longer checking for search engines for pirated software. They now tend to go more underground, by taking part in P2P forums which require log in and sharing for points before you can take part in downloading. The scene just becomes more accessible to non-elite users, as many people are setting up their FTP on the web easily. While it may help if those software companies check over nforce more frequently, the scene is just now so strong that it will continue to live with the Internet for the future to come. Just imagine, even software giants like Microsoft gets their codes reverse engineered and their ecliptic function encryption for keys cracked. The reverse engineers at the scene are just so talented.

bhavesh

Aug 27 2006, 12:15 PM

One more point to stop piracy.
Every software should have two licence:

For personal use in a single Home PC - Distribute it free.
For Institutions - Sell them your product.

QUOTE(neuspadrin @ Aug 27 2006, 01:06 AM)

People need to learn that odds are you can end up finding a free version of the same kinda software faster then you can find a crack for that software from that company

As free versions of popular softwares are available and with the same features, then thee is no need to buy the expensive version.

Software companies should understand if they can't stop people from making and using cracked versions, then they should start distributing it for free. The consequence wil be:

Closing of sites with cracked softwares.
Publicity of their product.

And if people like the software, they will recommend it to the institutes, they are working. Software companies should target these institutes, and should sell there products there.

garbage

Aug 27 2006, 10:33 AM

probably not since someone will alwys be trying to do it, and im sure there will always be a way of getting around things to be able to steal softwares and other things.

shadowx

Aug 26 2006, 10:28 PM

I think theres a deeper question that needs to be asked. Why do people use and help distribute pirated software?

Well for a start i dont pirate software, let me get that clear! I just use freeware alternatives

But i can see why people do pirate software. Old billy gates is sitting on millions yet his software cots about £90 for an operating system. Its a disk! and its not even that good! Yet it means that you're down by £90. For me thats a lot of money, im only a student but i have three computers in my house and that would cost me nearly £300 and my parents or me dont have that to just spend! Especially when its overpriced! If it only costs £20 - £30 pounds for a fully working and good operating system them im sure that almost no-one would pirate software.

I think that companies that overprice are the ones to blame. For example students like me on computer courses might need to by very expensive software, especially those on graphics or programming courses! Yet not many vendors cut students any slack for expenses. I appluade those companies that offer free home editions of software or even discounted home version.

Im guessing someone will say "but if people didnt pirate then the prices wouldnt be so high." possibly. But i bet if prices dropped so would piracy. Its the same case with films, a cinema charges 5 pounds to see a film once and thats a student discount rate! Where as a pirate dvd costs only 5 pounds for unlimited veiws!

Same principle just different subject!

And is it really that bad?

It doesnt bother me that people use pirated software because the victims of piracy are usually those big companies who overcharge anytway!

ADD REPLY / Got an Opinion!	Remove these ADs!	RAPID SEARCH!	Free Web Hosting	[X]
Express your Opinions, Thoughts or Contribute more info. to help others. Ask your Doubts & Queries to get answers, So that "Together We can help others!"	Register FREE for AD-FREE forum, Create your own topics, Ask Questions, track topics, setup subscriptions & notifications and Get a Free Website w/ Email and FTP.		500MB Space No Ads, CPanel, FTP, PHP, MySQL, EMails - 100% FREE