Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with piracy

Is my Photoshop CS2 Pirated?

Babblesort — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:38:00 -0800

I just received a copy of Photoshop CS2 that I purchased via eBay. How can I tell if it's fake? I just received a copy of Photoshop CS2 that I purchased via eBay. How can I tell if it's fake? The seller was listed as being in South Carolina so I was surprised and concerned when my package showed up shipped from China.

The copy was advertised as unopened in original shrinkwrap and it looks like that is the case. But with the unexpected Chinese origin I'm concerned that it may be a pirated copy. Can anyone tell me any specific things to look for to validate its authenticity. Hologram printing or the like on the disc? Something else?

Does this game genre even have a name?

The Winsome Parker Lewis — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:18:17 -0800

What are some great computer games for people who enjoy non-linear privateering, combat, and risky missions? I've loved the Escape Velocity games for years. I recently got into Frontier (previously) and enjoyed it a lot, but it was way too short and easy. I'd like to try Transcendence (previously) but I'm on a Mac, and I'd like to try SAIS (previously) but I can't get it to run under Snow Leopard. Finally, I just discovered Skyrates (previously) and it's fun but so very slow.

All that build-up is to ask: What other Macintosh or Flash games are like these? Specifically I'm looking for games that feature trading, fighting, upgrades and customization, and a big world to explore. I especially love games that let you choose to be good or evil (or neutral) and to become a hero, villain, or impossibly wealthy merchant. Even better if there are a bunch of different factions to choose from besides "good" and "evil," with shades of moral ambiguity. If the game is free that's also a big plus. Any suggestions?

Quoth the Pirate

cachondeo45 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:03:40 -0800

[Discography filter] How do I cite a pirated CD? I do research in an area where 90% of available music is pirated. In fact, most musical groups depend on piracy for maximum exposure. Regardless of your opinion on the matter of piracy, I am wondering what is the best way to cite a pirated CD in a discography. I cite lyrics from some songs that are only available on pirated format. I can guesstimate the year the pirated CD was "released" (turnover is pretty high), but the titles of the discs are super generic (such as "Best Hits Ever" and the like). Is there an appropriate way to do this? Or do I just keep it to footnotes and explain the sort of non-origin of the CD? (And of course, it may be irrelevant, but I'm using a format similar to APA.)

What is the best way to download free movies on the internet without resorting to piracy?

peetle — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:45:33 -0800

What is the best way to download free movies on the internet without resorting to piracy? I don't know, but I have been told that there are websites that exist where one can download free movies. Do these places actually exist? What is the best one?

Here's a shiny new copy instead, Netflix.

codswallop — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:24:57 -0800

A co-worker ripped and burned a DVD and accidentally sent the copy back to Netflix. Ouch. Should she flee the country? Retain a brace of lawyers?

My blog is in leetspeek! Reading it constitutes a breach of the DMCA!

explosion — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:57:31 -0800

What is the difference (legal or otherwise) between "decoding" and "decrypting?" I understand that for purposes of making more money and whatnot, the MPAA and RIAA would like "decrypting" their media to be illegal.

What I wonder though, is what is the difference between "decryption" and mere "decoding"? Music is encoded on a CD, and a CD player or computer decodes it back into music, right? So why, when on a DVD, is the movie considered "decryption"?

Is it seriously possible to make something legally "encrypted" just by ROT13ing it, and is there a legal distinction between the two concepts?

If I fully comply to the terms of a cease and desist notice, will I be left alone?

mahoganyslide — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:56:07 -0800

If I fully comply to the terms of a cease and desist notice, will I be left alone? I recently received a cease and desist notice from the legal representatives of a company. I was knowingly infringing upon the intellectual property owned by the company. The following is my response to the email I recently received (with sensitive information left out):

"(Name of Legal Representative):

Thank you for courteously notifying me of the matter. I have complied with the requests you made in your letter dated xx-xx-xxxx.

I used the xxxxx software for my own personal purposes. The software was originally obtained from an acquaintance who in turn downloaded the package online. The software has now been erased from my computer hard drive along with the original installation files that were stored on my external hard drive.

I am willing to comply and cooperate in any way that you, or the company that you represent, deem necessary. Please notify me of anything that I may be able to provide in order to satisfy the terms of your cease and desist notice.

Very Respectfully,
(My Name)"

Is this an appropriate response? What are the chances that they will just leave the matter alone and leave me be? I acknowledge that it was my fault, and I am not going to commit the same mistake in the future. I'm a little worried that this might result in me (a poor college student) paying a hefty fine of some sort.

Thanks for all of your help!

How do you attack a sailing ship with a fast rowing-boat?

TheophileEscargot — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:22:59 -0800

How do you attack a sailing ship with a fast rowing-boat? I've just finished "The Pirate Wars" by Peter Earle. He says that one tactic used by navies against pirates was to use fast rowing boats (cutters or barges) to pursue the pirates through the shallows, often in long chases.

Pirates also sometimes used canoes to attack merchant shipping, in presumably the same way.

Unlike the Mediterranean pirate galleys with a cannon in the prow, these boats seem to have been armed only with muskets. Nor did they have the element of surprise as with a cutting-out expedition.

Why didn't they get blown to pieces with cannon-fire before they could board?

How do you go about storming a ship from a boat anyway?

Technically it's piracy, but it doesn't feel that way...

AmbroseChapel — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 20:54:53 -0800

What's a good name for the kind of "piracy" that doesn't feel like piracy to a reasonable person? The rise of "bacn" inspired me to try to invent a new term describing acts of digital copying which are technically against the law, but just plain shouldn't be.

The kind of "piracy" that Cory Doctorow talks about in his classic DRM Talk.

"given the generally jam-smeared character of everything the kids get their paws on, she decided to tape the DVD off to VHS and give that to the kids -- that way she could make a fresh VHS copy when the first one went south"

That kind of activity, and these other kinds:

backing up a DVD to another disk for the same reason (kids destroy stuff)
reauthoring a DVD so when you put it in, it skips all menus and promos and just plays (easier for kids, handicapped users, people with difficulty reading the menus etc.)
putting a film and its sequel onto one DVD for convenience
format-shifting your CD to MP3 and putting it onto your iPod (still illegal in some jurisdictions)
removing DRM from your purchased iTunes files so you can listen to them on a non-iPod player
ripping a DVD to play on your video iPod or PDA
ripping the audio only from a DVD to listen to without watching the video track
de-regioning your DVD player so that you can watch DVDs from other countries

There are some things that (all other factors aside) I feel really are "piracy": downloading copyrighted material for free and so on. But in the above examples I feel that I own the product, I've signed no licence or contract about how I'm going to use it, and those activities shouldn't be illegal.

Lame suggestion to get you started: "My-racy".

Why doesn't Nintendo do something about pirated games?

davar — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 04:52:45 -0800

Why doesn't Nintendo do something about the enormous amount of pirated GBA and DS games and other "licenced" Nintendo stuff on eBay and other marketplaces? I remember that many years ago (in the Gameboy color days) Nintendo sued Bung, a company that sold products that allowed customers to play homebrew games on their gameboys, because the device could also be used to play illegal games. I thought that that was a bit shady. I did not like the fact that technology can be made illegal just because people may use it for illegal purposes. However, I understood their position.

Now that I just bought a counterfeit "officially licenced" Nintendo product off eBay and read a bit more about the fact that most GBA and DS games on eBay (and other online marketplaces) are illegal copies, I cannot help but wonder: why doesn't Nintendo do all they can to stop that? Sure, some of them aren't easy to spot, but many are, if you know what to look for. This would not only be in their best interest, but also in that of their customers, since I bet that most of them do not even know that they just paid 20 euro's for a counterfeit game instead of the real one.

How can I maximize the comfort of my pirate boots?

Faint of Butt — Thu, 03 May 2007 12:41:19 -0800

I have problems with my feet. Help me wear my new pirate boots comfortably. I have extremely flat feet, am fairly sedentary and rarely have a need for new and interesting shoes. For nearly twenty years now, I've relied on Reebok Classics as my exclusive everyday footwear. I take out the padded insole, put in my hard half-length prescription orthotics, and away I go. But I have a new job now, and will be working part-time as a professional pirate. I will be spending a lot of my time on my feet, both at sea and on land. I have purchased these boots based on multiple recommendations from other pirates, and unfortunately I don't think they can easily accommodate my orthotics. What should I do to make these boots as comfortable as possible while I loot and pillage? Are there inserts you recommend? Extra-thick socks? What are your tips for swashbuckling in comfort?

Direct Download for Docs?

yellowbinder — Tue, 01 May 2007 10:09:18 -0800

I work for a small Canadian documentary company. We're interested in selling our films via direct download. What is the best way to do this? We've got a couple of films that have received acclaim and success over the past few years, and we've got a new one that just premiered. We don't make much money off theatrical showings, and our cut of DVD sales isn't as much as we'd like. We're looking at direct download as a way to reach more people and get more of their money directly to us.

What's the best way to do this? Do you know of any other companies that have done this and succeeded? What are the pitfalls of direct download and how can they be avoided? I know more and more people are willing to pay for downloads, but is there any way to discourage piracy without ticking people off (for example, we don't want to go DRM so people can't burn a DVD and take it off their computer)?

Help me find a horrible old "hacker" video!

tehgubner — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 02:48:23 -0800

I'm looking for an old video that I think I saw back in the early 90s. It was a two part video about computer ethics. The first part was about piracy, the second was about the "evils of hacking". My Google skills have failed me. Does anyone out there remember this? So the first part of this video was about a couple of highschool kids who developed the game "Oil's Well".

After months of effort (including passing up a date to the prom with one of the "hottest girls in school"!), the two kids who wrote the game are about to sell it to a publisher. But in a serious lapse of judgment, one of the kids gives "just one" copy of the game to a friend. Within days, pirated copies of the game have spread worldwide, and the publisher has canceled the deal that would have made the kids rich. Also, as an added bonus, the kids meet the leaders of the local piracy ring, and are threatened with thier lives!

The second part of the video was about some kid who was hacking into a hospital. This part of the video was rather reminiscent of "Wargames", if I recall correctly. Anyways, the salient point to this story was that the kid had logged into the hospital's mainframe. As he was showing off his "mad skillz" to some girl he typed "IV feed me chocolate" into the terminal. Cut to the hospital, where a patients life support system has suddenly shut off. The words "IV feed me chocolate" appear on the nurse's terminal. The patient doesn't make it.

Can anyone give me a hint as to what this video was called or where I can find a copy of it? I've been searching for weeks! I think I saw this in the very early 90's, but even at the time it seemed horribly dated and silly.

Can I buy legitimate Office 2004 for Mac at 50% of list?

Kwantsar — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 10:45:24 -0800

I am purchasing a couple of Mac Minis for a little project, and I need legit copies of MS Office 2004 for Mac. I can find plenty of places online selling the "Full, Standard" version of the software, which is what I want, for $125-$175. This is over 50% off list. Are these discounters selling illegitimate copies? Can you suggest a good place to buy this software? I need to purchase it by midnight tonight (we expense software for tax purposes).

Kazaa fesses up, limewire next?

narebuc — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 08:00:40 -0800

Well, the makers of Kazaa just paid out a decent chunk of change to recording industry in a settled lawsuit. My question is -- how come limewire/morpheus are still ok? Kazaa news link: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/technology/AP-Downloading-Music.html They (limewire/morpheus) seem to have been around longer than Kazaa even and from what I know you can still can get pretty much any song you want from limewire. I get my music from Itunes, but I know some teens who still use limewire like crazy. Is this battle going to keep playing out -- new file sharing service popular until lawsuit, file sharing makers settle, new service arises? I would think BitTorrent is ok since it's use is sort of more complicated and slower for a tons and tons of people to understand.....

What do you do when you've been scammed on eBay?

sjvilla79 — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 19:58:52 -0800

I am concerned that a CD I've committed to buy on eBay is a counterfeit. The item's identification number is 4881752639. My concerns were raised after I read some of the seller's feedback from buyers and consequently the feedback the seller has left for them. Also, some buyers have gone so far as to create warning pages for others. There's even damning comments on Znooq's blog about the exact same item I've bought. So, what should I do about this? The item hasn't arrived yet. Can I somehow cancel my order? Of course I'm aware it has only cost me a few dollars for this mistake I've made. And yes I should have delved deeper through the seller's feedback when I first decided to bid on the item. I admit I'm at fault. But what the heck are scammers like this doing on eBay anyway? Surely eBay has had enough time to remove this seller in particular? I have sent this exact query to eBay too. What are your thoughts? It's the first time I've been scammed on eBay. And here I was thinking that it'd never happen to me. I mean I'm usually so cautious when buying anything from there.

How do I copy protect software?

markesh — Mon, 19 Sep 2005 07:08:31 -0800

What is the best way to copy protect my software with the minimum of hassle for the users, but maximizing revenue for me? I'm one of the small software writers, and make my living off shareware. Piracy is a fact of life, and it does not much bother me, seeing that I also have some pirated software on my PC.

A short while after releasing my software, it came up on the different crack sites. I'm sure that a lot of people, though they have money to buy the software, go out and download a copy. I'd like a system where the users would prefer to buy the software instead of pirating it. How do I go about it?

Is this software site legit?

jmevius — Thu, 21 Jul 2005 07:29:32 -0800

I was searching for student pricing for software and I came up with a site offering radical discounts on something I'm interested in. Is it too good to be true? Has anyone had experience with the site http://www.softjack.com/? the prices seem a little on the low end (typed in the most understated way ever).

Should I try it with the "buyer beware" glasses on? If I purchase it, am I doing anything illegal?

How does Apple prevent piracy of OS X?

smackfu — Thu, 17 Feb 2005 16:38:42 -0800

How does Apple prevent piracy of OS X updates? You always hear so much about Microsoft's Windows Product Activation and CD keys that I'm curious how Apple deals with the same issue.

WIll Customs seize my robot pals?

ruddhist — Fri, 04 Feb 2005 18:08:14 -0800

PirateFilter: Question about bringing VCDs into the good ol' U.S. of A. Yarrr. {MI} I'm an American studying in Germany. My latest Internet nerd hobby is collecting MST3k episodes with BitTorrent. I consider it a labor of love - helping to keep a great show alive. I've burned about fifty episodes onto CD so far - and I'm now thinking about problems I might have getting back into the States with them.

I know Best Brains only takes issue with people downloading episodes that are available for sale (and rightly so), so I try to avoid those. What I have, then, are fifty CDs of gray-area intellectual property, material that isn't exactly legal, but that isn't being actively pursued by its owner. That is to say: BBI would have to defend its property in court, but they aren't threatening to sue trackers like the MPAA has.

My question is this: if I try to waltz through U.S. Customs carrying this stuff, am I going to be hassled, arrested, deported, or whatever? Will it be a better (or worse) idea to send them in the mail? And, if so, labeled as what?

Please - help me save my hobby!

Can I afford to print holographic stickers?

arse_hat — Fri, 26 Nov 2004 13:36:16 -0800

Everything from software to sports souvenirs to designer accessories now has “authentic” holographic stickers on it. How much does it cost to buy equipment to print holographic stickers? (MI) The technology has been around for a while. Is it still that expensive? I mean if a factory owner in Hong Kong can bootleg designer handbags or CDs would it really take much effort to make fake holographic labels? The only stuff I can find on Google seems to be out of date.

Finding old, out of print comic books online?

aladfar — Tue, 23 Nov 2004 18:07:44 -0800

Digital Comics: I'm looking to download .cbr and .cbx archives of comic books. Not so I can steal the latest X-Men book (though I know piracy is rampant in this sphere), but so I can read interesting and long out of print books on my computer. The Metal Men, for example, fascinate me.

The trouble is, I can't seem to find any repositories of old comics via Google, BitTorrent, etc. I know they're out there - any help?

What's next after bittorrent?

filmgeek — Wed, 10 Nov 2004 19:47:08 -0800

What's next after bittorrent? First there was IRC, Newsgroups and FTP.

Then little programs like Hotline, Carracho, etc. which are server/client variants.

Then P2P came along.

So, what uber model comes next?

Duplicate key checking over the Internet as an anti-piracy tactic

blueshammer — Wed, 15 Sep 2004 15:18:12 -0800

Why don't the software companies use the internet to see if two people are on the internet and using the same software license on two separate machines (as defined by IP address, or serial number, or whatever)? This seems like such a basic anti-piracy strategy, and even if it's easily flauted by the technorati, that still means that 95% of users, and maybe 80% of pirates, will be foiled by it. But no one seems to do this. Why? (I've often wondered the same thing about speeding tickets; there have to be more cost-effective ways of catching speeders than paying highway patrolmen to sit there -- is lax enforcement synonymous with tacit endorsement, while still allowing the enforcers to profit by penalizing the occasional transgressor?)

What songs would you recommend for a music piracy playlist?

skylar — Fri, 10 Sep 2004 06:15:32 -0800

I'm making a music playlist, the theme of which is music piracy. What songs would you recommend for it? Things like Bow Wow Wow "C30, C60, C90, Go" or I guess anything with words like "free" or "copy" in the title...