2009 IMSTA Piracy Survey

[babu]

Done it, odd question in regards to using software not licensed to you, i use it all the time but the license belongs to who ever im doing a collab with, as i believed this was in reference to pirated material i left the answer as "i dont use it"

Terrific, in other words, you 're a victim of your collaborator....you HAVE to use illegal softs because your collabs left you the right...
Beautiful, I've never read such a ridiculous reason to use illegal softs.
(actually I ever seen more ridiculus reasons in the 12-18 y.o range).

[Rock Hardbuns]

Terrific, in other words, you 're a victim of your collaborator....you HAVE to use illegal softs because your collabs left you the right...
Beautiful, I've never read such a ridiculous reason to use illegal softs.
(actually I ever seen more ridiculus reasons in the 12-18 y.o range).

You are making unwarranted accusations.

Also, "soft" as an abbreviation of software makes no sense.

(Also, did his collaborators die or go away? And who can remember 12-18 year old reasons?)

[Shabdahbriah]

Terrific, in other words, you 're a victim of your collaborator....you HAVE to use illegal softs because your collabs left you the right...
Beautiful, I've never read such a ridiculous reason to use illegal softs.
(actually I ever seen more ridiculus reasons in the 12-18 y.o range).

You are making unwarranted accusations.

Ditto... I go over to "friends" and use their equipment frequently, usually to teach THEM how to use it. As it happens I built their DAWS, and installed all of their 100% purchased and licensed (to them) software.

I am reasonably certain, that is what the guy was stating, but the way the dumbass questionair is worded, it makes it LOOK LIKE you're a "bad-guy" by doing so, as there is no distinction between "legit" and "cracked" when referering to "other peoples software" (whatever it said) that you're using, which at the very least implied that you are a thief if you are even using software that YOU haven't paid for personally.

Seems they spaced on the amount of people that work in "studios", or are in school.

[kv331]

It was however CONFIRMED (and this several times now), that thanks to filesharing, sales went actually up rather than down. Some people even got famous thanks due to the internet "sharing" (Miss Gaga being the most recent example).

SynthMaster 1.0 was C/R protected for 2 years, and the sales were quite low around October 2008. Then in November 2008 a friend of mine told me that SynthMaster 1.0 was cracked (that same night I found out a blog site of Team Air I believe, they posted links on their blog about SynthMaster). I was of course very very pissed off by that first. But then, the sales did NOT go down to zero, we continued to sell it.

Then of course seeing this, we ABANDONED C/R copy protection, and switched to Serial number copy protected in July 2009 for SynthMaster 2.0. Our argument is plain simple: "There are enough decent people on this planet to back software companies like us, and we're after them, not those idiots who use cracked software"

[Muon Software Ltd]

SynthMaster 1.0 was C/R protected for 2 years, and the sales were quite low around October 2008. Then in November 2008 a friend of mine told me that the spanish group AIR cracked SynthMaster 1.0's C/R algorithm. I was of course very very pissed off by that first. But then, the sales did NOT go down to zero, we continued to sell it.

Yes, I'm sure you did continue to sell some copies, and you are probably selling enough to get by. Many software developers are in the same situation.

The problem with piracy is that it is a little more than a rational response to incentives. If I can get something for free in return for a small investment in time with little or no potential penalty then the only thing stopping me from doing so is my own personal moral compass. I wrote a whole long blog article on this very subject but need to sex it up a bit before I can post it because its long on the formal economics and short on fun

"There are enough decent people on this planet to back software companies like us, and we're after them, not those idiots who use cracked software"

Yes indeed, and trust me no-one at IMSTA is planning to go after crackers in any way. At the AGM that stance was made very clear. They simply want to prick people's consciences and get them to point that "moral compass" more in the right direction.

There are some people who do a google search for your product see the link to buy it from your site and see the link to torrent it on the same page of results. Some decide to buy, some decide to torrent. You seem to intuitively understand that already and I don't actually think that is incompatible with IMSTA's mission.

David Waugh
Managing Director
Muon Software Ltd
http://www.muon-software.com
http://muonsoftware.blogspot.com

[Aloysius]

Should you not be targeting the search engines who are in effect advertising stolen property? I spent Christ knows how long trying to find the Legitimate Website of ISM, in order to purchase BAZZISM2. Now I'd use the KvR Search instead. But at the time, all I could find on my searches were cracks, torrents, key-gens etc . . . It was very frustrating. I think your attitude is a bit weird. I don't find it tempting to go for the cracked version over the real version, when presented with an 'option'. I don't understand how you imagine you're loosing any sales at all. The people who purchase . . . purchase. The people who don't . . . don't. Perhaps it's just something to do in your spare time. A hobby group!

[Muon Software Ltd]

Should you not be targeting the search engines who are in effect advertising stolen property?

Not really, I'm not in favour of a web that is censored by commercial interests.

I think your attitude is a bit weird. I don't find it tempting to go for the cracked version over the real version, when presented with an 'option'

You don't find it tempting, but many do. Sad fact of life I'm afraid.

The people who purchase . . . purchase. The people who don't . . . don't.

You did read my posts, right? so you can see that I'm in complete agreement with that statement. I can even demonstrate it as an example of rational choice theory if you want.

I am not one of those developers who thinks that every cracked copy is a lost sale. I disagree completely with the arguments of the MIAA, RIAA, BSA and any of those other ridiculous trade bodies.

IMSTA on the other hand simply seek to remind people to buy the software that they use.

Perhaps it's just something to do in your spare time. A hobby group!

Hardly. The plug-in software industry is estimated to be worth around US$20 million per year. Look at IMSTA's members:-

Digidesign
Steinberg
Native Instruments
Arturia
Korg
Microsoft
Roland
IK Multimedia
Image Line
Propellerhead
Toontrack
Guitar Center
...etc

It's a young trade body admittedly, but as far as I'm concerned its moving in the right direction.

David Waugh
Managing Director
Muon Software Ltd
http://www.muon-software.com
http://muonsoftware.blogspot.com

[Aloysius]

Thanks for reply! It is YOUR software and YOUR business. We can provide a little input but perhaps this is more of a in-house discussion for yourself, and your fellow developers.

[Shabdahbriah]

... I wrote a whole long blog article on this very subject but need to sex it up a bit before I can post it because its long on the formal economics and short on fun

I'm very interested in reading this, David.

Will it be posted here?

~S~

[Aloysius]

Would I win a prize if I lied and said that the survey had 'educated' me, and I now realize the error of my ways and want to go Legit' and purchase all of my software Licenses from now on? Perhaps!

[Muon Software Ltd]

We can provide a little input but perhaps this is more of a in-house discussion for yourself, and your fellow developers.

Actually it IS your views that are important. The survey is simply asking for our customers' opinions to spark off that discussion.

I'm very interested in reading this, David.

Not sure, there's pages of it and it could do with vicious editing

Would I win a prize if I lied and said that the survey had 'educated' me, and I now realize the error of my ways and want to go Legit' and purchase all of my software Licenses from now on? Perhaps!

Don't count on it

Kind regards
Dave

[Aloysius]

Would I win a prize if I lied and said that the survey had 'educated' me, and I now realize the error of my ways and want to go Legit' and purchase all of my software Licenses from now on? Perhaps!

Don't count on it

Kind regards
Dave

I put in my honest opinions anyway! I HOPE I win! Good luck with it Dave. You seem like a decent, level-headed person.

[kv331]

David, I just sent out an email to INSTA about becoming a member. I hope it is affordable. We're the only company in Turkey in this field, and we'll have a hard job of convincing folks in our country to buy legitimate software from us, as the general rationale in Turkey is "Man, why are you paying for software/music/movies?"

[mellotronaut]

Digidesign
Steinberg
Native Instruments
Arturia
Korg
Microsoft
Roland
IK Multimedia
Image Line
Propellerhead
Toontrack
Guitar Center
...etc

all these companies are part of IMSTA? Why don't they hire professionals, who plan a survey? NI had two good surveys this year (which led to bad decisions though).

[Muon Software Ltd]

Fixed those quotes for you.

Why don't they hire professionals, who plan a survey?

Good question. I have talked to Ray about this as I said - however, the survey is far from perfect but it still generates useful data. I'm sure year on year there will be refinements, this is only the second iteration.

Kind regards
Dave