The Way to End Software Piracy is To:

[flaninacupboard]

You really think they make the box bigger to make you think you are getting more for your money?

Yes.

Me too.

People buy non OEM hardware. sometimes it makes sense, buy a cd burner, you probably want some cd burning software. but oem or non oem hard drives wityh a ten pound difference, you'd think that's a no-brainer, but people buy the non oem because it has a pretty picture on the box.....

[TheFamilyMan]

Kill everyone who pirates software! (just joking...of course)

I make my living by writing software. Believe it or not, it is VERY expensive to develop software in a professional environment. If you look at real, commerical level apps, $1000 is nothing. In the consumer realm, volume of sales can cover costs. That's why game titles don't cost $300. It would be interesting if mircosoft released the development costs of its office software package or for windows XP. I'm sure that the costs would easily be in the millions (that is, unless microsoft pirated the source code).

Software is pirated because it is easy to do and easy to get away with. The only thing that controls it is people concience. It's like tobacco in this regard: it's easily available, but does that mean its good thing to use? Since software is an industry from which people make a living, software cost money. Sure, there is lots of good, legit free software thanks to those who don't mind giving away their labors, but the majority of software will never be free. Anyone who thinks that all software should be free is out of touch with reality. It's the same as saying all chevy corvettes should be free.

[adam]

You really think they make the box bigger to make you think you are getting more for your money?

Yes.

Me too.

People buy non OEM hardware. sometimes it makes sense, buy a cd burner, you probably want some cd burning software. but oem or non oem hard drives wityh a ten pound difference, you'd think that's a no-brainer, but people buy the non oem because it has a pretty picture on the box.....

They buy the non-oem because of what else is IN the box. Do you really think they only manufacture the screws and mounting brackets as an excuse to make the box bigger too?

No one can tell me that anyone thinks the software is going to run better because it comes in a bigger box. If you are buying according to the size of the box it is because you value those included items INSIDE the box other then the software. It is a part of your purchase.

If you knew how much extra it costs to manufacture the box and especially the full face, full color manuals, then you'd realize how silly it is to suggest that they only include these items as an excuse to make a larger, more expensive box.

[hech54]

Nonfunctional slack fill is what it was called in California....or someone TRIED to claim that...


http://news.com.com/2100-1023-207517.html?legacy=cnet&dtn.head

[adam]

Well that's what the people wanting money tried to call it. The judge basically threw it out for the same reasons I mentioned.

California's Fair Packaging and Labeling Act is aimed at products like cereal and soap, which are sold by volume...Software is different.

What [software consumers] are really concerned about is functionality, what a product does. You don't buy a product because it's contained on two disks instead of one.

I just don't understand what is misleading about a bigger box. We all know how big a cd is and once the software is installed the container size is completely irrellevant anyway. Its pretty cool though, for just about any disagreement you can have, if you just look to the 9th Circuit they have more than likely already had a case specifically on that issue.