Return-Path: Received: from mout.perfora.net ([74.208.4.194] verified) by media-motion.tv (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.2.10) with ESMTP-TLS id 5186389 for AE-List@media-motion.tv; Fri, 23 Aug 2013 20:56:57 +0200 Received: from mbp-17.westell.com (50-55-1-121.waus.wi.frontiernet.net [50.55.1.121]) by mrelay.perfora.net (node=mrus2) with ESMTP (Nemesis) id 0MDR5B-1VI8CX0M7p-00GopJ; Fri, 23 Aug 2013 15:09:09 -0400 From: Steve Oakley Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Apple-Mail=_1FF04CC0-400D-431A-9EAB-C99D12EEDA31" Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 (Mac OS X Mail 6.5 \(1508\)) Subject: Re: [AE] USA and the emerging 'Software Piracy Gap'!! Date: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 14:09:07 -0500 References: To: "After Effects Mail List" In-Reply-To: X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1508) X-Provags-ID: V02:K0:8MXD/eY4D+khLb2gKVZLmuQjp2Xh9ckBEdnHOHfxmoq iswDksR5MDoWDVCbWASR7ItsOVB4xOThcwZo7mJ2pFfXC4ndOb D290tQ9H1kFNrTH2yJNaSt1M1sgpEBzqc9wOmKH6VMyTPh1yH6 datcnYFOVeFxnCWXHuCJvVkcNkK7Ei+I4qPLIblJ4IGbWwqYAK ay9SEjQ/fa5y9QhL6JOfcsWDPCxN822qtK3XfUtCnXdGocblsl yIKGg3xsFPPQLIrXN3WWLQ0PQrJMO0Zll0z1JwqYYHS+UglBy8 Fa2O8JIJhAfXcdYKlPXK5IOiCooGvSyweG+qorlB0n/+TjnnPG EbYiSTh3Qfx6oy5afc6AB9kLNe35UE5JlX3jpEZZsUrRrIZ0Wy yYYGULMY5xRFQ== --Apple-Mail=_1FF04CC0-400D-431A-9EAB-C99D12EEDA31 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 adobe's activation was cracked rather easily for CS5-6. generally = speaking copy protection only inconveniences the legit users since users = of cracked versions have bypassed it. at one point, I had $25K worth of = USB dongles on my keychain. not fun to think of loosing that. those can = be cracked too. on the extreme, there was a serial number generator for = combustion 3 floating around back in the day. so in the end its = generally a waste of resources... user education that you should pay for = what use. oh, and netlfix ? there are a lot of mov's they don't have which is a = driving force in people simply wanting something and getting it anyway = they can. if the only place a film you want to see is torrented.... = perhaps the studios should just get better at licensing more of their = content so its available. better to make something rather than nothing. S On Aug 23, 2013, at 1:50 PM, Jim Tierney wrote: > >> but doesnt the responsibility to protect the software lie with the = developer?... If it is too hard to crack people will just give up and = buy it? Right? Maybe?=20 > =20 > No=85 it just becomes a bigger challenge and more props to the first = one that can do it. >=20 > When I was at Atomic Power, we spent close to two months of = engineering on the copy protection. It was cracked within two weeks. By = and large, copy protection is a waste of engineering resources. You have = to have something, but there is nothing that is =91too hard to crack=92. = And usually the robust systems become a pain for paying users=85 dongles = anyone? >=20 > >> I have to say that I think Adobe's method of business with creative = cloud is the best idea so far. Make the purchase price of your product = more attainable at a longer stretch profit and more people will be = inclined to purchase. >=20 > Given that they=92re giving away a year of CC to people that attend = certain conferences, I have doubts that this is currently working out = great for them. There are also a significant number of users that are = REALLY hostile to the idea, since for some users the CC is a significant = price increase. It is definitely not cheaper for people that only = upgrade every three versions. Pissing off your existing customers is a = questionable strategy. Long term it=92ll probably work out for them, but = right now, who knows. >=20 > For professional products, there are the folks that are willing to pay = for the software and then there are folks that won=92t pay for it. There = are very few that fall into the =91I=92m going to pirate this, but if it = was cheaper I=92d pay for it=92 category. Most software companies do = sales on a regular enough basis that if price is your main concern, just = wait a few months and you=92ll get a deal. >=20 > As a software developer, it is disappointing when studios and people = making money with your software choose to steal it (or use outsourced = labor that they know is not paying for it). Particularly when these same = folks would be up in arms if anyone used some of their creative work = without their permission or paying for it. Karma can be a bitch though = (or so I hope). >=20 > Anyways, all of us software developers greatly appreciate those of you = who do pay. Hopefully we can continue supporting you guys doing amazing = work. >=20 --Apple-Mail=_1FF04CC0-400D-431A-9EAB-C99D12EEDA31 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252 adobe's activation was cracked = rather easily for CS5-6. generally speaking copy protection only = inconveniences the legit users since users of cracked versions have = bypassed it. at one point, I had $25K worth of USB dongles on my = keychain. not fun to think of loosing that. those can be cracked too. on = the extreme, there was a serial number generator for combustion 3 = floating around back in the day. so in the end its generally a waste of = resources... user education that you should pay for what = use.

 oh, and netlfix ? there are a lot of mov's = they don't have which is a driving force in people simply wanting = something and getting it anyway they can. if the only place a film you = want to see is torrented.... perhaps the studios should just get better = at licensing more of their content so its available. better to make = something rather than = nothing.

S

On Aug 23, 2013, = at 1:50 PM, Jim Tierney <jim@digitalanarchy.com> = wrote:

>> but doesnt the = responsibility to protect the software lie with the developer?... = If it is too hard to crack people will just give up and buy it? Right? = Maybe? 
 

No=85 it just becomes a bigger challenge and more props to = the first one that can do it.

When I was at Atomic Power, we = spent close to two months of engineering on the copy protection. It was = cracked within two weeks. By and large, copy protection is a waste of = engineering resources. You have to have something, but there is nothing = that is =91too hard to crack=92. And usually the robust systems become a = pain for paying users=85 dongles anyone?

 I = have to say that I think Adobe's method of business with creative cloud = is the best idea so far. Make the purchase price of your product more = attainable at a longer stretch profit and more people will be inclined = to purchase.

Given that = they=92re giving away a year of CC to people that attend certain = conferences, I have doubts that this is currently working out great for = them. There are also a significant number of users that are REALLY = hostile to the idea, since for some users the CC is a significant price = increase. It is definitely not cheaper for people that only upgrade = every three versions. Pissing off your existing customers is a = questionable strategy. Long term it=92ll probably work out for them, but = right now, who knows.

For professional products, there = are the folks that are willing to pay for the software and then there = are folks that won=92t pay for it. There are very few that fall into the = =91I=92m going to pirate this, but if it was cheaper I=92d pay for it=92 = category. Most software companies do sales on a regular enough basis = that if price is your main concern, just wait a few months and you=92ll = get a deal.

As a software developer, it is disappointing = when studios and people making money with your software choose to steal = it (or use outsourced labor that they know is not paying for it). = Particularly when these same folks would be up in arms if anyone used = some of their creative work without their permission or paying for it. = Karma can be a bitch though (or so I hope).

Anyways, = all of us software developers greatly appreciate those of you who do = pay. Hopefully we can continue supporting you guys doing amazing = work.


= = --Apple-Mail=_1FF04CC0-400D-431A-9EAB-C99D12EEDA31--