Let's get something out of the way 1st, before we dive into the subject at hand: software piracy is unlawful and we don't condone it in any way, shape, or form. That being said, from a software programmer's point of view it is not precisely the end of the world it's made out to be sometimes. There are a large number different ways in which software purchases and software piracy interact, and from the point of view of the programmer not all of them are harmful; in fact, in some situations a bit of piracy can become very beneficial.
The Bad
A pirate can pay for the item but pirates it without purchase. Certainly, this is the easiest situation to condemn and can seem like the worst case scenario from a programmer's point of view. This is a potential sale which has been lost completely - the one factor keeping the company from selling the item and profiting is the moral decision on the part of the pirate. The one possible good that may come of this is the software pirate has been exposed to the item and develops a level of product awareness as a result which could result in future sales after recommendations to buddies and family.
A pirate cannot afford the item and doesn't pirate it or purchase it.
This is actually a worst case scenario from a developer's perspective, despite a fact that it is a system working as intended. There is literally no way to turn this around; not only is there no purchase, a company imparts no product awareness.
The Not-So-Bad
The software pirate cannot pay for the product and pirates it without purchase
This can appear less than optimal at first, but it's actually not as bad as it sounds. The programmer hasn't lost a purchase in this case since the item couldn't have been purchased in a 1st place. Instead, a pirate uses the product, that builds product awareness, and he can recommend the product to people who do have the means to purchase it.
The Good
A pirate can pay for the item, pirates it, and decides to purchase it
This would be the best-case scenario for the interaction of purchase and software piracy, barring the simpler option of a customer purchasing the item outright without software piracy. Maybe the pirate liked the product enough that he decided to purchase it outright, or perhaps certain aspects of the product require verification in some fashion, whether that be continued support or connectivity issues. In any case, this would be the kind of software piracy that developers don’t like to talk about since it actually ends up benefiting them in a end.
Solutions
So how does a developer get pirates to come around to a desired outcome of a product purchase? That’s a tough question, and one with that many companies currently struggle. While we can not know precisely what the answer is, we certainly know what it is not: subjecting all customers to draconian measures as if all users were pirates. Requiring intrusive security measures or constant connection to an official support network are both solutions which have been tried and that engender resentment on a part of paying customers.
One lesson in conversion comes from the release of a Arkham Asylum video game from Eidos Interactive. After a game’s release, a Eidos forums began to flood with complaints about players not being able to use part of a jump function properly. The game can be played without using this function (albeit with some difficulty) up until the point when this glide jump became necessary to advance. The response from Eidos to these complaints was simple: only paid versions of a game allowed gliding. By making this key bit of code part of their verification process, Eidos ensured that pirates were able to experience the game and enjoy it and yet still have reason to purchase the product.
Author Resource:
I am a computer repair technician at Geek Choice. I love repairing a slow computer . I have many certifications, and have strived to keep educating myself throughout the years.
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