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Originally Posted by tobyhede  I do not think that running software on a seperate partition would protect you. And really, would it be worth the trouble having to prove to the authorities "No, I really ONLY use that drive/partition/machine for PERSONAL use only"? |
I agree, if it's on the computer that you use for business it doesn't matter what partition it's on. But I must also point out that there's no reason you wouldn't be punished if you use pirated software for personal use. Businesses are usually targeted because they have more money they can pay in fines (making prosecution more worthwhile), and probably because it's not considered as bad for PR as targeting individual consumers. People have been prosecuted for downloading pirated music, why is software any different?
Either way, there are much better reasons for not using pirated software. Ethics come to mind. People consider stealing a physical object to be a crime, but not software. If you try to steal boxed software from a store, you'll be prosecuted for shoplifting. But if you download pirated (essentially stolen) software online, it's considered ok? What's the difference? It's the same exact software. Another thing I should point out is that Microsoft became the de facto standard in part due to the massive piracy of its products. Lots of people have used and still use pirated copies of Windows and MS Office, instead of using alternatives like Linux and OpenOffice. People often say they're doing this because they don't like Microsoft or that the products are overpriced, but if you're using their products you're still supporting their monopoly.
If there's a commercial product you want to use but can't afford, then use an alternative. For each very expensive commercial product there's a cheaper or free alternative available. For instance, if you can't afford Adobe Photoshop, use Paint Shop Pro. Or if you don't want to pay any money, use GIMP. Can't afford 3D Studio Max? Blender is free. Also, many high priced products (that are intended for professionals which can afford them) have cheaper mainstream consumer targeted versions. For instance Adobe Premiere has Adobe Premiere Elements. These days there's really no excuse for using pirated software. Finally, there are small software developers like me and others on this forum, for whom sales of their software may be their main or only source of income. Software piracy hurts us little guys the most.