Piracy Hurts Open Source Also!

Published on October 27, 2008 in General by Ian McLean

In an earlier article we established that piracy of software is basically a given in today’s world where information is so easily shared and duplicated. We also established that no matter what DRM measures are implemented by commercial software developers, no matter how advanced or how draconian they are, someone’s always going to find a way around it. With that in mind, perhaps, if we’re able to figure that out, surely so are they…?

Epic Edits Weblog, through their own original research, discovered that very nearly 60% of their poll participants were using a pirated version of Adobe Photoshop. That’s a good deal more than half of them, which means more than half the copies of the program among that sample are illegitimate ones that didn’t come from Adobe themselves.

Indeed, I’ve installed Windows copies on many peoples’ computers, with the CDs they themselves have provided me. I have yet to see one that came from a boxed, retail copy of Windows. While it’s a point that gets often awkwardly tossed aside in discussions among IT folk, it’s true; widespread software piracy isn’t just some peculiar phenomenon trickling into our society, it’s the norm.

I’m willing to bet a good few of those reading this blog are using pirated software, and, until I switched to Linux last year, I myself was quite content to be one of those few. After all, who’s going to keep tabs on you closely enough to send the police kicking down your front door because you’ve got Deluge downloading Office 2007? But, when you hop on your favorite torrent site and then have yourself a copy of Adobe’s entire creative suite within the hour, you may not be aware of all the implications that using pirated software could have in the software development community.

Pirates Still Support The Developers

It seems a somewhat common attitude I’ve seen among people; they’ve got an axe to grind with the bigwigs like Adobe or Microsoft, and then thus choose to pirate their software as their quiet little way of ‘sticking it to the man’. It’s easy to understand that mindset; if you download the program illegally instead of paying the company for the right to use it, they’ve lost your purchase there – these rich corporations are charging hundreds for a program that’s hardly worth a fraction of that price, so if you pirate, they’re just getting what they deserve! (Gleeful cackle)

Stick it to the man!

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, in response to the massive degree of piracy in China of their Windows operating system, has been quoted as saying that “while it was terrible that people in China pirated so much software, if they were going to pirate anybody’s software he’d certainly prefer it be Microsoft’s.”

And it’s interesting to think of the fallout from this. A commercial software company would certainly prefer that you pirate a version of their software, rather than avoiding it altogether. While they’re making less money, they still have your support in using it, and that often leads to more revenue for them down the line.

Adobe’s products are a good example, especially their Photoshop program. If you look in a newspaper for job advertisements in the field of graphic design, illustrations, logos, or anything of the like, you’re likely to have seen that an employee must be familiar with Adobe Photoshop and/or Illustrator. When I was a student of TAFE in Australia, the programs we were using were Adobe programs, and with good reason; Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash… these are all industry standard programs. So even if something better becomes available, people will still be using Adobe, because it’s the industry’s standard. Most of my student friends were using pirated versions of Photoshop at home because they couldn’t afford the real thing, and because it was what they were learning to use in class. I showed a few of them the benefits of using GIMP instead, and the response was total rejection of GIMP. It was unfamiliar, it had no perceived benefits over Photoshop, and most of all, it wasn’t even any cheaper than a pirated version of Photoshop.

It makes sense, that if they’re going to continue with their careers and don’t want to land themselves in hot water for using illegitimate copies for their own commercial endeavors, they’re eventually going to shell out that $800 for it, as a few of these friends of mine have already ended up doing.

The lesson is, that even if you haven’t yet paid for the use of the software, the company may well have already sold it to you anyway. You contribute to upholding the industry standard, and then you’re halfway to doing Adobe’s promotion for them.

Microsoft Windows hold 90% of the desktop market, and for much the same reason. It’s what most people are used to, and that goes a long way to securing many more sales of Windows for more and more prospective computer users. Microsoft don’t desire losing money through piracy, but in the long run, they more than make up for it by having their product supported by pirates and legitimate users alike as a product that’s accepted by the mainstream market.

Who’s Losing?

We’ve all heard plenty of spiel from software companies lamenting the disadvantages of using pirated software, but often while they come up with valid points, they’re often only points that are in their interests. Adobe moans that covering for pirated software hurts the global economy, leading to losses of jobs, legitimate users where money that could’ve gone into R&D instead goes into simply keeping the company afloat, and finally users of pirated software due to often (sic) defective or virus-laden copies circulating on the net.

While the validity of that last point there is certainly up for grabs, there’s other, less documented implications that are especially relevant for proponents of Free and Open Source Software.

Firstly, legitimate users are certainly losing out; prices raised up due to piracy (or using piracy as an excuse, as the case may be) leads to legitimate customers paying more to use the product; effectively meaning that they’re paying for pirates to use the software without paying a dime.

How FOSS Is Feeling It

But there’s also going to be an often unseen impact on FOSS developers; FOSS isn’t about generating revenue, but public interest and user support is the FOSS community’s lifeblood; if you choose to download a copy of MS Office 2007 instead of OpenOffice.org, OOo’s developers have lost a user, lost a supporter and possibly, lost a contributor. Louis Suarez-Potts, community manager for OpenOffice.org, has said as much himself.

Customer support is a goal that both free and corporate developers have in common. A customer that chooses to use Kompozer over Dreamweaver, is a score for the open source community that now has a supporter, and a loss for Adobe, who’ve lost a potential profit.

Even the spread of trial or ‘stripped-down’ versions of commercial software will be making an impact on the FOSS movement; if you’re using Photoshop elements, you’re still doing Adobe’s word-of-mouth marketing for them, and then potentially drawing in more customers for them, while free alternatives are never even explored. If too much of the userbase goes to a single company, that gives them an opportunity to put a stranglehold on the industry.

A good example of this is Adobe Flash; as of right now Flash remains a closed format, and the only way you can competently develop Flash at the moment is with Adobe’s software. Basically, Adobe has established a monopoly here, and there are almost no alternatives at all (besides, perhaps, OpenLaszlo, in a very limited kind of way). If you develop with Adobe Flash, whether it’s paid or pirated, you’re going to be supporting Adobe and tightening their hold on this standard in the industry.

The lesson to be learned here is that any proponent of free software shouldn’t have any interest in using pirated software; if the best choice for you is to pay for the real thing, then so be it; but if one’s really interested in ‘sticking it to the man’, or at the very least doing your part to promote the virtues of free software, then the best way to do it is to hit them where it hurts; not just the hip pocket, but their mainstream credibility. If that credibility goes instead to open source developers, that puts them in a position to make something that outshines the competition for everyone. And then, no one’s going to have to pay for it.

If one can make it known to all that the support of these industry giants isn’t needed, that’s when some real difference can be made.

images courtesy of DiggPirate, PerreOnline.be, Don Qua, and belleliu

About

I'm an Australian born, currently Romanian based amateur web designer and writer, as well as aspiring musician, and connoisseur of free and open source software.

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  • http://twitter.com/j_stirk/statuses/976673798 j_stirk (Jason Stirk)

    just read a thought provoking article on Piracy and it’s effect on FOSS : http://is.gd/4SgX

  • http://twitter.com/martin_english/statuses/976678999 martin_english (martin english)

    viaR @j_stirk: just read a thought provoking article on Piracy and it’s effect on FOSS : http://is.gd/4SgX

  • http://twitter.com/makario/statuses/976963068 makario (Makario Lewis)

    Here’s an EXCELLENT post on how piracy hurts open source software, too. Read for enlightenment: http://tinyurl.com/5ljlwb

  • xRAVExHEAVENx

    Very interesting.
    I loved this article.
    I think the problem is that most people don’t know about the open source alternatives available to them.
    I am thinking about making a site dedicated to showing open source alternatives and removing the holds commercial companies have over everyone.
    If you are interested in this endeavor, e-mail me at the address above.

  • Nitin DB

    There is already such a site: http://www.osalt.com. But given the choice between Adobe Dreamweaver or Quanta+, I would always go with the open source alternative. The closed-source software is extremely bloated and slow. In order to protect the source code, they end up fattening it up by adding all kinds of bloatware which tries to keep you locked inside their world. There is no doubt that if all software was opensource, it would result in greater productivity and quality.

  • http://www.stiri-itc.ro/index.php/2008/10/lumea-lunux/ Lumea Linux – Stiri ITC | news that bubbles

    [...] Piracy Hurts Open Source Also [...]

  • http://twitter.com/qwertyman/statuses/978067018 qwertyman (qwertyman)
  • http://twitter.com/top_web/statuses/978067140 top_web (top_web)

    Digg: Piracy Hurts Open Source Also!: hehe2.net — (Digg and comment this) http://tinyurl.com/5ljlwb

  • http://twitter.com/top_dedist/statuses/978068874 top_dedist (top_dedist)

    Digg: Piracy Hurts Open Source Also!: hehe2.net — (Digg and comment this) http://tinyurl.com/5ljlwb

  • http://twitter.com/stefansokerov/statuses/978093821 stefansokerov (stefansokerov)

    Why does Chrome fail to render this page properly? http://tinyurl.com/5ljlwb

  • http://twitter.com/tatumvay/statuses/978112516 tatumvay (tatumvay)

    Are you a pirate? http://tinyurl.com/5ljlwb

  • http://twitter.com/joshkagan/statuses/978186426 joshkagan (Josh Kagan)

    How software piracy hurts open source: http://tinyurl.com/5ljlwb

  • Michael

    One point not mentioned in this post is that many of these large companies contribute back to open source projects. When you pirate their software they can’t afford to pay their developers who give back to the community.

  • B3z3rk3r

    That’s all well and good, and i wont deny that you have some valid points there, however its exactly due to all these being “industry standard” software that most of us have no choice in what we use.
    Lets take gaming for example: if you play anything other than solitaire i guarantee you use windows xp. Not because its the best option, but because its the only one. Vista + DX10 are are dismal offering, and Linux + WINE isn’t compatible with the vast majority of programs, merely a select few that undeniably run better on their native OS. (lets not even mention FreeBSD)
    While its true that OO.o is perfectly able to perform as a replacement for Word, its not compatible both ways because of MS refusal to commit to the actual “Industry Standards”. Instead we are being forced into what i’m calling “M$ Standards” So until the proprietary community adhere to the real Industry Standards, and the big name developers start making their products compatible with open-source OS nothing is going to change. Piracy will remain, and probably grow even more, as the next generation learn they aren’t being given a choice either.
    Oh yeah, and price your products fairly and more people would buy them. Yeah, im looking at you Adobe.. $700 for photoshop? **** off! Get real people.

  • http://blueberryware.net Adam

    This is definitely a fascinating article. I have had many conversations with friends about pirating and then buying Adobe products. I never considered the implications that this is hurting open source software in the long run. Thanks for the article!

  • http://www.comparecontractmobiles.com suresh

    Fantastic article…I love it…I never thought about the implications that would hit the open source industry and this threw a light on the issue

  • Samuel

    @the guys above me, you may say wow this article is great and all, but will you actually start using open source software.. no!

    because
    your used to it
    its free just like open source
    what does open source help me

    its the way it goes.. i myself dont use open source, and im not saying im pirating. im just saying why switch?

  • RevSlaughter

    Hm? I was a pirate, and then I started using Open Source products like Ubuntu, OO.o and GIMP instead of pirated Word and Photoshop. For one, if I make a work of art or a poem or something I want to sell in those programs, I can rest easy in case I’m ever audited. For another, it’s all free. I can build a computer for a regular user using Ubuntu or I can spend an extra $200+ for something with far less functionality. Open Source is just cost-effective.

    As far as GIMP and PS go, there’s a really great hack for GIMP if you’re used to PS called Gimpshop – give it a go and get legal.

    That all said, I think that this article is GREAT!

  • http://gamesrevue.com/ Nestor

    Sometimes the stumbling block is simple usability, I’ve tried gimp a few times but the interface is clunky and unfriendly, same goes for blender

  • Jim Jones

    LOL, the grapich with the little guy and the thumb tack totally caught me off guard! ROTFL

    http://www.anonymity.cz.tc

  • http://www.betterstream.com Brian

    Decent article. I actually read something a year or so ago with pretty much the same points, but it was more about Microsoft then piracy in general. I am one of those people who used to pirate things like Photoshop, Windows, and Office; I had even spread this habit to some friends. But over the past couple years I have delved into GIMP, OpenOffice, and Linux and even though price or legality is no concern, I use GIMP and OpenOffice exclusively simply because I find them much more responsive, easier to install, and far more productive. An added benefit is when someone else wants to try these programs, i can simply refer them to the respective web site and they can handle it on their own, without worrying about torrents or piracy issues and whatnot.

    Anyway, I know I am part of tiny minority here, all I can hope is that people can understand price is not the real issue. If Adobe were to start giving away CS4 I would still prefer GIMP.

    Anyway good article.

  • cathal

    Excellent thought provoking article. Currently using Office 2003 and tried 2007 which I didnt like, I will be switching to OpenOffice.

    Thanks!

  • LordNecros

    The article seems to make it seem as though we should all choose to use FOSS. Regardless of our opinions on the quality of that software, because it’s FOSS, it must be inherently better. Stallmanist ideals such as this don’t hold water when comparing software like OpenOffice to Microsoft Office. The developers of GIMP themselves admit that it is not on par with Photoshop.
    Some argue that by supporting the FOSS, you help to make it better. I agree with that to an extent, but there is no reason to believe that FOSS will inevitably be better then its commercial counterparts. Being FOSS doesn’t give GIMP a magic advantage over Adobe.
    Whether its FOSS, or just freeware, the user should be able to decide based on the merits of program, and not on some ridiculous license.

  • xRAVExHEAVENx

    Actually, I already use mostly open source software. I think the only thing on my box that isn’t open source is World of Warcraft which is fully paid for. This includes Gentoo Linux.

  • indra

    Very good article, and if piracy can harm opensource society that means it can affect the computer user in developing country that mostly use opensource program for their daily work. Becaus we depend alot to those opensource programmer that makes a excelent application and give it away to society.

  • Kwipper

    See.. here’s the problem I am having with this article.

    Downloading a copy of Windows means I can download and play the newest blockbuster titles for the PC…. illegally but for free noneoftheless.

    Downloading a copy of a Linux distro means I can download TuxRacer…. and mabye a few linux ports of games that came out several years ago.

    Which do you think would be more reasonable for a gamer such as I?

  • http://fulloffacts.com Felipe Alvarez

    > very nearly 60% of their poll participants were using a pirated version of Adobe Photoshop……which means more than half the copies of the program among that sample are illegitimate ones that didn’t come from Adobe………

    Did you put that sentence together yourself?

  • http://fulloffacts.com Felipe Alvarez

    I liked your article. I only copy games to which I do not have a copyright. I do not copy anything else, unless I have a licence (privilege) to copy.

  • Somebody

    It is interesting that every one uses the wort pirate, piracy.

    Hehe, thats exactly what those companies want :-)

    BTW: Interesting article.

  • http://twitter.com/vyaas/statuses/978703229 vyaas (Vyaas)

    Stick it to the man by going open-source! : http://tinyurl.com/5ljlwb

  • http://hehe2.net Rami Taibah

    Kwipper, you are completely right, games ARE Linux’s bane, no matter how you spin it! If you are a PC gamer, then stick with Windows or at least dual boot. However if you are the kind of gamer that plays only a game or two (WoW only for example) then you might pull it off through wine.

    Or switch to consoles :P

  • http://hehe2.net Rami Taibah

    Exactly, and this is what this blog is trying to do. Get the word out :D Not sure if it’s delivering though!

  • http://boycottnovell.com/2008/10/28/dell-advertises-gnu-linux/ Boycott Novell » Links 28/10/2008: CodeWeavers Sets Product Free, Dell Advertises GNU/Linux on TV

    [...] Piracy Hurts Open Source Also! [...]

  • Nitin DB

    Hi, Same here. If Photoshop, Dreamweaver or Illustrator were free (as in beer), I would probably still not use them due to its bloated nature. Gimp, Inkscape and Quanta+ do everything I need in a fast simple and efficient manner and I believe its the skill and creativity of the workman thats more important than the tools. When you have all the basics covered (which the above mentioned Open-source alternatives do), then its just down to our individual skill levels.

  • http://breezer.pblogs.gr/2008/10/h-peirateia-blaptei-ton-anoihto-kwdika.html ? ????????? ??????? ??? ??????? ????

    [...] ????????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??????”.????? ? ???????? ????????? ??? Piracy Hurts Open Source Also.????????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ????? ??? Digg ???? ??? [...]

  • spank

    what exactly are u saying are u agreeing with piracy or not it seems like ur riding the fence

  • http://mai9.net/blog/2008/10/pirates-pro-software-comercial/ nunca nueve » pirates pro software comercial

    [...] software comercial Filed under: Microsoft, programari — 2008-10-28, Tuesday @ 13:24 (891) Piracy Hurts Open Source Also! Most of my student friends were using pirated versions of Photoshop at home because they couldn’t [...]

  • http://www.midnightclublosangelescheats.com/ Midnight

    Very enlightening article, makes a lot of sense.

  • http://jpangamarca.wordpress.com/2008/10/29/links-for-2008-10-29/ links for 2008-10-29 « My place

    [...] Piracy Hurts Open Source Also! Firstly, legitimate users are certainly losing out; prices raised up due to piracy (or using piracy as an excuse, as the case may be) leads to legitimate customers paying more to use the product; effectively meaning that they’re paying for pirates to use the software without paying a dime. But there’s also going to be an often unseen impact on FOSS developers; FOSS isn’t about generating revenue, but public interest and user support is the FOSS community’s lifeblood; if you choose to download a copy of MS Office 2007 instead of OpenOffice.org, OOo’s developers have lost a user, lost a supporter and possibly, lost a contributor. Louis Suarez-Potts, community manager for OpenOffice.org, has said as much himself. (tags: microsoft windows piracy linux open source free software foss) [...]

  • http://www.edgeblog.net bill

    Great article. I’m a heavy user of Windows, Linux and a mix of proprietary and FOSS. I think your points about piracy hurting everyone are right on target.

  • http://www.buzzya.com/2008/10/29/should-proprietary-software-companies-be-more-concerned-about-open-source-or-piracy/ Should Proprietary Software Companies Be More Concerned About Open Source Or Piracy? – BuzzYA!

    [...] business, but reader Jon sent in an article that explores how piracy of proprietary software often does just as much, if not more, harm to open source alternatives. So, for example, when people make an unauthorized copy of Photoshop, doesn’t that hurt open source [...]

  • http://www.technologyupdatenews.com/2008/10/29/should-proprietary-software-companies-be-more-concerned-about-open-source-or-piracy/ Should Proprietary Software Companies Be More Concerned About Open Source Or Piracy? | Technology Update News

    [...] business, but reader Jon sent in an article that explores how piracy of proprietary software often does just as much, if not more, harm to open source alternatives. So, for example, when people make an unauthorized copy of Photoshop, doesn’t that hurt open source [...]

  • http://diggchrist.com/story/87 diggchrist.com

    Piracy Hurts Open Source Also!…

    In an earlier article we established that piracy of software is basically a given in today’s world where information is so easily shared and duplicated. We also established that no matter what DRM measures are implemented by commercial software devel…

  • http://www.misschat.net chat

    thank you so much.. i been looking for this solution for such a long time and now i found it.. thank you!!

  • Marcos

    Hi, Nice article.

    I agree with you. I made a comment on the “60% of Photoshop Users are PIRATES “, that I’m sure you have read it and I will repeat it here (actually it was two comments) :

    ” Yes. I know it is. People don’t support Gimp because PS is better, but it is a kind of cyclic problem here. If home users like you would use more Gimp other than use *stolen* PS then Gimp would be better. I don’t want to sound rude, I just want to make people think about it. I know that it requires a change of mind. A change in the way that we use software.

    Is PS really better if you have to pay for it? If yes, then just pay for it. It is fair.
    If not and you just use it illegally then it will not be Adobe that is loosing here. It will be me and all people who are being nice to you and giving their time and skills so you could have a good tool for a fair price.

    Price? Yes. Gimp is not free. It is paid by your supporting of just using it and help making it better.
    I think it is a fair price. What do you think?”

  • ChrisInBelgium

    If you’re interested in using GIMP in a meaningful way, you can visit the following page: http://meetthegimp.org
    The quality of the totally free podcasts is excellent. I could never accomplish anything with GIMP until I took the time to learn the program properly. It’s absolutely fantastic!

  • http://twitter.com/aseemsood/statuses/992889466 aseemsood (aseemsood)

    Piracy Hurts Open Source Also! Interesting view point > http://tinyurl.com/5ljlwb

  • http://aoleonthemartiangirl.com/advertise/ Games

    Games…

    Recently the academic researchers……

  • MMS

    I used GIMP for years, downloaded a pirated copy of photoshop… and you know what… I still use GIMP! Go GIMP!

  • http://www.evdenevenakliyatt.biz sikis

    Thanks

  • mariazinha

    There is some enterprises that in fact win with piracy… Like article said… the habit. There unthinkable to an beginner designer or programmer to buy a version of visual studio or photoshop to learn to work with it. The most of money take from comercial enterpresis… The piracy begins in here in my point of view…. Things like games… ok it will be always be a fight :P About oo… I will try to choose the best… I still use ms office in linux using wine…. OO still need a lot of work… and yes, the eyes eat… OO it’s ugly looking as win 95 app and it’s really heavy…
    I already contributed with some software to opensource comunity… I love all ideia… but alternatives still not good. I think they will be soon but not now… As OS linux still my choice…for servers… But I already installed windows on my computer… Kernel developing right now… it’s really bad( mk question, drivers support between minor releases like lirc problem and others things)…
    Yes, thks to piracy I know the commercial software… my choose on profissional situation, some free and open software… but if they are best… time is money… even if i have to pay to win time. I wouldn’t never recommendo to enterprise to buy a software that i just tried with a trial.

  • Uncle B

    Please donate your old boxes to a church-group or some needy student in these hard times! To comply with the law, and with Microsoft’s leasing policy, you can now replace Microsoft OS with the free (download from the net) Ubuntu OS, which can be set to erase the hard drive of all traces of the “illegal to give away ” Microsoft system and your private information, before donation! Now, explain to your lucky recipient that all the manuals they will ever need are available for free on the internet! Just ask for them in Google! OpenOffice, which is installed already is plenty adequate for homework assignments and with a little exploring, everything else can work well too! Happy computing!

  • http://hehe2.net/linux-general/world-of-goo-an-eye-popping-game-ported-to-linux/ World of Goo: An Eye Popping Game Ported to Linux

    [...] people will do the right thing and actually buy this game, after all we already have discussed how piracy actually hurts Open Source, and we don’t really wanna do that now do [...]

  • PocketSam

    > what does open source help me
    Well, interoperability, internet, www, many proprietary programs use FOSS software ideas, a bit more fair competition within software companies when open standards are used, progress and quality of development.

    Because why do you think many big companyes start using open development systems? The best example foe now is Nokia.

  • http://iloveyou.kevinmabz.co.cc kevin

    awesome post..
    good thinking skills.. ^^

  • http://www.2jk.org/praxis/?p=2017 ?????? ?????? | ????????? ?? ???? ????, ????? ?????? ?????? ????? ‏ :: Intellect or Insanity‏

    [...] ?????? ?????, ?????? ?????? ????? ????????? ?? ?????. ?????? ??????? ?? ?????? ??????? ????? ?????, ??? ?? ??…. ???? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ?? ????????, ????? ?????? [...]

  • d2sdonger

    Piracy is not that big of a deal. Get over it!!!!! However i love my open source software. Made the move to Linux in 2006 and am amazed at the quality of some of this software. I would like to see more powerful audio editing software (think cubase). Kind of off subject but as a musician i would love to see the Major record companies totally collapse!!! Burn baby Burn. If u have a friend that is a britney spears fan burn the albums for them and then pray for them. Brit can get a day job like 99 percent of other musicians who have dedicated their life to 'music' (unlike her).

  • dork

    I wish Gimp worked exactly like Photoshop.

  • http://linuxologist.com/9-games/world-of-goo-an-eye-popping-game-ported-to-linux/ World of Goo: An Eye Popping Game Ported to Linux | The Linuxologist World of Goo: An Eye Popping Game Ported to Linux | Bringing Linux to the Masses

    [...] people will do the right thing and actually buy this game, after all we already have discussed how piracy actually hurts Open Source, and we don’t really wanna do that now do [...]