Another warez user featured in an FM video?

[RunBeerRun]

Piracy isn't romantic, it's sad. But romance is....let's not throw our lives away being meanies.

[mutantdog]

Has there ever been an artist video from CM which featured an artist using warez? IMO, it were always FM videos. Hence the "conspiracy theories".

There was an Ulterior Motive video a while back where they were clearly using a cracked Ohmicide.

I really don't get how any self-respecting artist couldn't feel a sense of shame in demonstrating their use of warez. From my experience, the only people really keen to show off their pirate software are those so desperate to impress that they think you'll respect them for being some kind of outlaw. You know, the ones that download everything but don't really know how to use any of it. In the case of successful producers, i can only assume that they probably think nothing of it. Although Martin Garrix's discography is full of uninspired warez-themed track titles so maybe I'm wrong here.

[cron]

Have you actually read the research

Yes:

"When John Gantz, research director at the IDC, was asked about the impact of high Western software prices on piracy in developing countries, he suggested that possibly only one in ten unauthorized copies represented a lost sale. Absent clearer data, we would call this a plausible guess—and one that would have dramatically reduced the $29 billion loss that the BSA claimed in 2003. As Gantz observed, “I would have preferred to call it [the $29 billion] the retail value of pirated software” (Lohr 2004). In 2010, Gantz got his wish when the IDC started referring to these numbers as “the commercial value of unlicensed software” (BSA/IDC 2010b).

This last bit does exactly nothing to change a stated value. It's pure sophistry. This is a guy with a premise that he likes a lot. You're fronting for him, so the burden will be on you to show us why only 1 in 10 pirated copies representing a lost sale is a "plausible guess", absent clear data.

Also, can we all reasonably extrapolate the specific 'in developing countries' to a universality, per se? I think 'no'.

The other problem with this quote is that a lost sale isn't defined. A lost sale for who? The original creator perhaps, but what about their competitors? I own DC8C2. It's a fantastic compressor that costs $29. It's affordable to pretty much anybody. Why would you buy it if you already had a crack of another quality compressor that happens to cost 10 times as much?

It's the same deal with your DAW. You might not be able to afford Cubase, but you can probably afford Reaper, and where's the impetus to buy Reaper if you already own and are learning a crack of Cubase? If you have the desire to make music, you need a DAW - it's crack or buy. If you choose crack, a lost sale IS involved somewhere. What else are you going to record music with? Thin air?

[mutantdog]

The other problem with this quote is that a lost sale isn't defined. A lost sale for who? The original creator perhaps, but what about their competitors? I own DC8C2. It's a fantastic compressor that costs $29. It's affordable to pretty much anybody. Why would you buy it if you already had a crack of another quality compressor that happens to cost 10 times as much?

It's the same deal with your DAW. You might not be able to afford Cubase, but you can probably afford Reaper, and where's the impetus to buy Reaper if you already own and are learning a crack of Cubase? If you have the desire to make music, you need a DAW - it's crack or buy. If you choose crack, a lost sale IS involved somewhere. What else are you going to record music with? Thin air?

You know, that's a really good point. The implication for a lot of people being that if its cheap its probably crap and if its expensive its a rip-off so you should steal it. They usually use the same well-known plugins though, never looking too deep into the alternatives. Its easier to download Waves Mercury in one lot than go picking and choosing your own favourites from the huge choice available.

[KingClarkie]

I might think that you dont know just how ubiquitous piracy is, or how low public relations and marketing people are willing to go. In my view this is easily a low risk/high reward stunt in some situations. Would you imagine that a similarly 'no-name' dev could be complicit in a scheme like this? I can. Imagine that a no-name dev approaches pirates to have their stuff "k'd"... People think that is just crazy. It is not. Loss Leader

Getting ridiculed on KVR is probably not the publicity coup you seem to think it is. Outside of this forum how many people are going to be discussing DJ Bathsalts because he used a cracked copy of Sylenth1? Very few I suspect. What's more, KVR is probably the one forum were this guy won't want to be discussed as it is often frequented by the very developers he's abusing. As a strategy it's not such a high reward or as low-risk as you seem to think.

I'll say again that I think too many people are overthinking this. I don't think were dealing with any PR masterplan, just some hapless DJ who picked up a warez copy of Sylenth1, forgot about it and then realised mid-shoot that it was there for all to see. The real problem as I see it is that too many people are happy to use warez behind closed doors because they don't believe they'll get caught and, more importantly, that it doesn't really do any harm.

As a part-time developer I'm fully aware of the 'ubiquity' of piracy and the damage it causes, but unfortunately few people outside of the development community and forums like KVR seem share this point of view.

[Kriminal]

The video has just under 12k views.

Ive seen funny cat videos get 100x that

He doesnt really sound like he knows what he's doing...and says 'grit' far too much

Im sure his short lived career wont suffer much from this...

[chk071]

Getting ridiculed on KVR is probably not the publicity coup you seem to think it is. Outside of this forum how many people are going to be discussing DJ Bathsalts because he used a cracked copy of Sylenth1? Very few I suspect.

Exactly. That's why i always wonder about threads like these, as seemingly, there's users who think KVR is the center of the world. This also applies to threads about evil companies. As if the people actually making music and good money with their products would care at all. And those are the real customers. Not people bad mouthing on internet forums.

[mutantdog]

To be fair, a lot of forums (even the more warez-friendly ones) have their own group of vocal anti-piracy types, whether that be software piracy or music piracy. The issue is when an influential publication with a vested interest in promoting legitimate use never actually broaches the subject of piracy or its implications for the industry, yet shows videos of established artists using pirated software. Perhaps FM are trying to stay neutral on the subject, but it practically comes off as an endorsement.

I hope more of their advertisers follow u-he's lead and threaten to pull out if something isn't done about this. In fact, if i was a journalist there, I'd see the potential to get a decent story out of this and make everyone happy at the same time.

[highkoo]

Outside of this forum how many people are going to be discussing DJ Bathsalts because he used a cracked copy of Sylenth1?

More than were previously. Thats all it takes really.
"Very few", maybe. Relative to what? Zero that were before?
Im not saying its 'a coup', but it is a net positive.

Agreed, the 'hapless DJ' would be the most likely scenario. But it is kind of odd though that FM would not be at least be looking out for it, if just to be covering their own ass.

[notinterested]

He's so talented. I really envy the way these guys all sound so completely alike.

"hey hans, what is that awesome kick pattern?"

"well frans, it's it's a careful selection of placing the kick on the perfect part of the piano roll. If you do it while you've smoked some kick ass chronic, then it will sound even better"

"wow, can I try? (places the perfectly quantized note that has been used for millions of "songs" and made trillions of dollars) WHOA! Man, that is like the most killer kick beat EVER!"

"I know"

Ok, back to my cave......

[She Changed Her Mind]

'As if the people actually making music and good money with their products would care at all. And those are the real customers. Not people bad mouthing on internet forums.'
This is not even an argument. You are just as dumb as a rock if you believe that this site -or even the companies who are related to it- depends on people who actually make money with music. Too silly for words. Most companies could close right now if this were actually the case atm.

[mutantdog]

Just a thought of defence (based on observations I've seen), you can uninstall a cracked piece of software but if you don't clear the registry and preferably restart there's a good chance that installing legitmite versions of the software may well still be cracked when you open them up, offering no way to re-authorize. If this the case with Sylenth and Ohmicide, then perhaps the *not*that*computer*savvy Superstar DJ would rather put up with a TEAM's name on their screen than try to isolate the problem clearly somewhere in a part of Windows/OSX he doesn't understand.

[Crackbaby]

Has the video been changed? I've watched the 5:24-5:40 something a few times (until he closes the window) and i never even see the sylenth logo (of which the "licensed to" is under).

[She Changed Her Mind]

Just a thought of defence (based on observations I've seen), you can uninstall a cracked piece of software but if you don't clear the registry and preferably restart there's a good chance that installing legitmite versions of the software may well still be cracked when you open them up, offering no way to re-authorize. If this the case with Sylenth and Ohmicide, then perhaps the *not*that*computer*savvy Superstar DJ would rather put up with a TEAM's name on their screen than try to isolate the problem clearly somewhere in a part of Windows/OSX he doesn't understand.

I guess a replacement of a cracked version with a legal one will also introduce a problem regarded to formerly saved presets and projects. Because the presets and configuration of projects related to the warez copy will not be loaded with the new installed legal copy then, I assume.

[mutantdog]

Not so sure about that, maybe there would be cases. I wonder if i uninstall one of my paid synths and then reinstall it, would i need to authorize it again. My guess is no in many cases, but if anyone else wants to try and find out, go for it.