Does copy protection create software pirates?
https://www.joeuser.com/index.asp?AID=209
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So does putting copy protection on CDs thwart pirates or does it create more? How can you reduce software piracy?This article says no: https://www.joeuser.com/index.asp?AID=209
My view is this:
1) CD copy protection mainly inconveniences legitimate buyers, not pirates.
2) Most game companies are completely unaware of how *convenient* piracy has become in the last couple of years. CD protection only adds more incentive to pirate. A casual gamer is likely to think "Why am I paying $50 for a game that makes me keep track of fairly delicate things (CDs) when I could, with a few clicks, have the game for free and not have to deal with copy protection?
3) The best way to combat piracy is to make the incentive for being a customer greater than the incentive for being a pirate. Give more benefits to purchasing such as free updates after release that are easy to obtain for legitimate buyers and more difficult for pirates.
That's in a nutshell. This issue really struck a nerve here because I'm packing up for a 3 day trip and as I go through a few games I'd like to play while on the plane or at night in the hotel, I realize that I don't want to take the CDs with me (what if they get scratched or lost?) which means no game. That's ridiculous.