Anyone need a software license key?

[Go Speed]

dumbasses -

google ”Belarc Advisor Current Profile” “Software Licenses”


Belarc makes free 'private' license auditing software.

The first question in their FAQ.
Q: Will the Belarc Advisor send my PC profile information up to a web server?

A: No. The Belarc Advisor creates a local Web page and does not send up your PC profile to a Web server or anywhere else. For more info on Privacy, please click here.

So, some people are purposely uploading their belarc profiles?

Either way - go to or three pages into the google search and get keys for just about anything you want.

Looks mostly good for MS stuff

[fly5150]

That is crazy. I have found keys for every major software on there in 5 minutes. There is no way that is going to be up much longer.

[wikked]

damn, someone download/image/backup/mirror that site quick before it does get shut down :D

[300pny]

No different than stealing a car

[wikked]

No different than stealing a car

Nein!

You're not getting a hard physical copy of anything, no disks, no boxes, no manuals, no claim filed to insurance company, no downtime on anyone's party.

There is 0% loss on stealing a digital copy, no matter how much the Arr Eye Ay Ay tries to convince (brainwash) otherwise.

If anything, it might make you spread the word about how good a product _____ is, and might inspire someone else to buy it, therefore causing a profit where there was none before.

I've bought CD's of music I've 'sampled' off the 'net, that I never would have bought in a million years, because you can't return CD's if they suck ass, and you can't return software if it blows goats either.
I want to decide "yes, this band/software has earned my money" and not get shafted.

There is just too much risk in plunking down $10-15 for a CD, or $40-$800 for software that have no return policies.

[300pny]

Nein!

You're not getting a hard physical copy of anything, no disks, no boxes, no manuals, no claim filed to insurance company, no downtime on anyone's party.

There is 0% loss on stealing a digital copy, no matter how much the Arr Eye Ay Ay tries to convince (brainwash) otherwise.

If anything, it might make you spread the word about how good a product _____ is, and might inspire someone else to buy it, therefore causing a profit where there was none before.

I have been in the buisness for years and it costs Billions every year. Thats Billions of dollars of loss. How do I know? I am in the buisness. It cost tons of downtime. Company's put off upgrades due to cost which in turn makes there systems less secure and downtime occurs (get this from experience). It's pretty easy to Validate any type of theft if you think about it hard enough but no matter how you attempt to in the end it is still stealing.
With the penalties out there your better off getting caught steeling something physical than digital.

Trial/Beta versions are for spreading the word. If thats what your downloading then as long as you meet the agreement of the trial your good. I am currently of a beta of microsoft "longhorn" server using legally. Just cause its not hard and physical dosn't make it free....

[Cryptic]

You're missing the point of the post....

The company that is supposed to be preventing piracy is promoting it by accident. Ohh the irony

[300pny]

You're missing the point of the post....

The company that is supposed to be preventing piracy is promoting it by accident. Ohh the irony

The inital post I see that. After that looked like that was not longer the case.

[Go Speed]

I have been in the buisness for years and it costs Billions every year. Thats Billions of dollars of loss. How do I know? I am in the buisness. It cost tons of downtime. Company's put off upgrades due to cost which in turn makes there systems less secure and downtime occurs (get this from experience). It's pretty easy to Validate any type of theft if you think about it hard enough but no matter how you attempt to in the end it is still stealing.
With the penalties out there your better off getting caught steeling something physical than digital.

Trial/Beta versions are for spreading the word. If thats what your downloading then as long as you meet the agreement of the trial your good. I am currently of a beta of microsoft "longhorn" server using legally. Just cause its not hard and physical dosn't make it free....


How does it cost billions in downtime? I'm not directly challenging your statement. But I've been in the business for awhile too and not sure how you came to that conclusion. Specifically how does piracy make downtime? If a MS-SBS2k3 is stable, and XP is stable, it should be stable whether it's pirated or legit.

Companies put off upgrades for loads of reasons, in my experience, cost is usually not the prime reason - the migration, the time, the hardware upgrade costs as well (thats a biggie).
I have a hard time believing that if EVERYONE bought their O/S, and EVERYONE bought photoshop, the cost would go down. It's kinda like gas, they'll keep charging it, because they know we'll buy it.
MS sold 40M copies of Vista in 100 days - that's not enough? Then maybe their company is a little bloated and Warren Buffet should not be DONATING $37,000,000,000 to charity and should putting it back in his company.


If anything, the introduction of WGA has been an ass kicking and caused perfectly legitimate instances of software to be mis-identified and cause more problems.

And the open source community is a huge example of some of the advantages and disadvantages of not gouging your customers and providing an open base for development.

[300pny]

How does it cost billions in downtime? I'm not directly challenging your statement. But I've been in the business for awhile too and not sure how you came to that conclusion. Specifically how does piracy make downtime? If a MS-SBS2k3 is stable, and XP is stable, it should be stable whether it's pirated or legit.

Companies put off upgrades for loads of reasons, in my experience, cost is usually not the prime reason - the migration, the time, the hardware upgrade costs as well (thats a biggie).
I have a hard time believing that if EVERYONE bought their O/S, and EVERYONE bought photoshop, the cost would go down. It's kinda like gas, they'll keep charging it, because they know we'll buy it.
MS sold 40M copies of Vista in 100 days - that's not enough? Then maybe their company is a little bloated and Warren Buffet should not be DONATING $37,000,000,000 to charity and should putting it back in his company.


If anything, the introduction of WGA has been an ass kicking and caused perfectly legitimate instances of software to be mis-identified and cause more problems.

And the open source community is a huge example of some of the advantages and disadvantages of not gouging your customers and providing an open base for development.

Not sure if its billions in "downtime". I was refering to billions in losses being past on to the honest people who purchase the software. Your reference to XP or SBS being legit or stolen how does that make it less secure. Microsoft only researches and makes patches for there OS for so long. I totally agree a migration has so many layers and issues Ive been through 100's. Sooner or later you have to upgrade to stay secure. Ive had clients with 100 -200 users that didn't want to get off the NT platform because of the cost. Cost that would not be there if people who pirated it would have paid for it and they would not have put off upgrading. They inturn would have to pay someone like me to spend 20-40 hours per week supporting the NT, Exchange 5.5 enviorment when if they would move a new platform the time would be knocked down to 5 - 10 hours. We could go on how moving would save that money upgrading but thats for another thread. Im not saying it will go down dramatically. Nowadays The cost in development of an OS is astonomical. Some older platforms (non GUI) still work great today and do what they need to do. My whole point wasn't to argue the economic side of this issue but to make people aware and maybe make people think twice before stealing preventing legal issues for them.

[wikked]

meh... there's no loss if the person never intended on buying it in the first place.

Example:
There is no way in hell I'm going to pay $50 for "BrandX" software, not even a .001% chance, never ever, not going to happen.

I download, find a crack, use said software.

I am not considered a potential buyer, there is no revenue lost, there is no cost passed on to others from people that never intended on buying the software in the first place, you're sales figures are 100% the same regardless if 1 person pirated it, or 1,000,000 people (who never intended on buying it) pirated it.

Look how many millions of people bought World of Warcraft, has the price gone down yet? Nope, never will until WoW2 comes out and everyone stops playing WoW1, in which case the point is moot.

I think Bill Gates has enough cash from previous software to sell Vista for $40, is it gonna happen? haha not in anyones lifetime.

[300pny]

meh... there's no loss if the person never intended on buying it in the first place.

Example:
There is no way in hell I'm going to pay $50 for "BrandX" software, not even a .001% chance, never ever, not going to happen.

I download, find a crack, use said software.

I am not considered a potential buyer, there is no revenue lost, there is no cost passed on to others from people that never intended on buying the software in the first place, you're sales figures are 100% the same regardless if 1 person pirated it, or 1,000,000 people (who never intended on buying it) pirated it.

Look how many millions of people bought World of Warcraft, has the price gone down yet? Nope, never will until WoW2 comes out and everyone stops playing WoW1, in which case the point is moot.

I think Bill Gates has enough cash from previous software to sell Vista for $40, is it gonna happen? haha not in anyones lifetime.

I am just telling people they are stealing forwarned is forarmed. Giving them a heads up thats all.
So stealing is ok if you wouldn't buy it otherwise? So if I steal from you your OK with it if it is somthing I wouldn't buy anyway? If you want to steal its your risk and poragative. Validating theft because the price is high you can do that for anything but Im sure wouldn't hold up in court just a hunch anyway. Yea Bill has alot of money. If someone couldn't get a hacked copy of Windows would they not buy it or not use the computer...They would prob buy it. So the sales figures are not %100. I personally know people who stole windows and would by it otherwise. No matter how you try and validate stealing it its still stealing non the less and thats my point.

[Teufelhunden]

Whats going on in here? :)

[Go Speed]

What are software pirates stealing?

In the case of stealing a car, you're dealing with property and there are real tangible damages to be reckoned. Having had my car stolen I can also attest that there is more than just the property loss there's a feeling of violation and just general.. yech.

However, when someone 'steals' software, they're not 'taking' anything tangible. I can't really think of anyway to correlate it to a real crime.
The X amount of dollars users spend on software is nothing more than the right to use it. You or I (assuming your'e using legit software) don't OWN Windows or Photoshop or whatever we're using. We're giving someone money to use their program.

Well, when several million people have paid for the 'right to use' the software and it's R&D several times over why should a 'pirate' feel guilt or remorse.

Finally - several software companies have acknowledged the benefit that 'pirates' bring to the scene and even make available source and dev kits to help them out.



On a seperate but similar note - imho - guys like Mr. Gates, are hard for me to hate. I admire his success, he's a capitalist and pretty damn good at it. BUT, at the same time from a 'virtuahumanitarian' standpoint, he's in the way. In an effort to make money he's in the way of progress, sort of. It's a catch-22 - he's done a grand job of making a platform that is brilliantly compatible, but at the same time he's squashing other capable developers who if he opened up some, sure MS might not make as MUCH money, but they could advance technology faster and more efficiently.

[wikked]

I am just telling people they are stealing forwarned is forarmed. Giving them a heads up thats all.
So stealing is ok if you wouldn't buy it otherwise? So if I steal from you your OK with it if it is somthing I wouldn't buy anyway? If you want to steal its your risk and poragative. Validating theft because the price is high you can do that for anything but Im sure wouldn't hold up in court just a hunch anyway. Yea Bill has alot of money. If someone couldn't get a hacked copy of Windows would they not buy it or not use the computer...They would prob buy it. So the sales figures are not %100. I personally know people who stole windows and would by it otherwise. No matter how you try and validate stealing it its still stealing non the less and thats my point.

I agree with you 100% that stealing physical goods is wrong, no doubt 100%.
Making a copy of 1's & 0's is a different story.
Actually, if the Arr Eye Ay Ay weren't such a conglomerate bunch of phuckbag asspickles, I'd probably buy more stuff. :mad:

[300pny]

I agree with you 100% that stealing physical goods is wrong, no doubt 100%.
Making a copy of 1's & 0's is a different story.
Actually, if the Arr Eye Ay Ay weren't such a conglomerate bunch of phuckbag asspickles, I'd probably buy more stuff. :mad:

No matter what way the theft is attemtped to be vaidated software piracy is %100 illegal. I don't understand the logic but you can google it and see that it is as illegal as other crimes of theft. I guess if someone steals your Credit card info, your idenity or hacks into you bank account you wouldn't mind cause is 1's and 0's thats ok cause its not physical? I am with ya on software being a load of crap..In Lethal weapon 4 they say "they fvck ya with the cell phones"..Well add software and lamaz classes to the list.

[300pny]

What are software pirates stealing?

In the case of stealing a car, you're dealing with property and there are real tangible damages to be reckoned. Having had my car stolen I can also attest that there is more than just the property loss there's a feeling of violation and just general.. yech.

However, when someone 'steals' software, they're not 'taking' anything tangible. I can't really think of anyway to correlate it to a real crime.
The X amount of dollars users spend on software is nothing more than the right to use it. You or I (assuming your'e using legit software) don't OWN Windows or Photoshop or whatever we're using. We're giving someone money to use their program.

Well, when several million people have paid for the 'right to use' the software and it's R&D several times over why should a 'pirate' feel guilt or remorse.

Finally - several software companies have acknowledged the benefit that 'pirates' bring to the scene and even make available source and dev kits to help them out.



On a seperate but similar note - imho - guys like Mr. Gates, are hard for me to hate. I admire his success, he's a capitalist and pretty damn good at it. BUT, at the same time from a 'virtuahumanitarian' standpoint, he's in the way. In an effort to make money he's in the way of progress, sort of. It's a catch-22 - he's done a grand job of making a platform that is brilliantly compatible, but at the same time he's squashing other capable developers who if he opened up some, sure MS might not make as MUCH money, but they could advance technology faster and more efficiently.


If a pirate feels guilty or not I dont know and dont care. Plenty of thiefs don't feel guilty most feel like its not wrong..Till there caught. In 1997, software piracy cost New York State more than $860 million in lost wages, tax revenue and retail sales. I was just saying its a crime. YOu can look all over the net and find plenty of examples that it is a crime. The microsft products, Bill Gates and platform are a whole nother topic. This is along the same lines as patents. You invent something someone steals it and uses it for whatever reason Im sure you wouldn't be so happy especially if you spent millions to make it and they use it to make money as people do with software.

[wikked]

I guess if someone steals your Credit card info, your idenity or hacks into you bank account you wouldn't mind cause is 1's and 0's thats ok cause its not physical?

That's still not the same, because they'd use that information to drain my bank account, and I'd be losing something physical in the end.
If they made copies of my cash, what do I care, go nuts :)

And yes pirating is 100% illegal as well, but it's a victimless crime like I've pointed out to death up there ^^^ :)

[300pny]

That's still not the same, because they'd use that information to drain my bank account, and I'd be losing something physical in the end.
If they made copies of my cash, what do I care, go nuts :)

And yes pirating is 100% illegal as well, but it's a victimless crime like I've pointed out to death up there ^^^ :)

Every crime has a victim as pointed out above in NY. Its a fact Tax payers and workers lose money (your phisical) just as you would if someone drained your 1's and 0's. If there are not victims then who's procecuting?? THe non-victims? So you don't care if someone takes your idenity and uses it?

[Go Speed]

Every crime has a victim as pointed out above in NY. Its a fact Tax payers and workers lose money (your phisical) just as you would if someone drained your 1's and 0's. If there are not victims then who's procecuting?? THe non-victims? So you don't care if someone takes your idenity and uses it?


You've stated it as a fact, but I can't find, and haven't experienced anyone losing money or being adversly affected by software piracy.

The name implies more damage than I've witnessed.

The few articles I've read re:the 'adverse' affect of piracy are laced with bloated, unsubstantiated numbers that are pulled out of someones contrived statistics.

I've never read one with conclusive, verifiable links to the loss of monies.

[300pny]

You've stated it as a fact, but I can't find, and haven't experienced anyone losing money or being adversly affected by software piracy.

The name implies more damage than I've witnessed.

The few articles I've read re:the 'adverse' affect of piracy are laced with bloated, unsubstantiated numbers that are pulled out of someones contrived statistics.

I've never read one with conclusive, verifiable links to the loss of monies.


If you look or care enough about it or worked in the field you can find plenty. I have experinced losing money first hand through clients and people I know getting procecuted. but once again I was just pointing out so people who see this thread know there is a risk thats all.

[Go Speed]

If you look or care enough about it or worked in the field you can find plenty. I have experinced losing money first hand through clients and people I know getting procecuted. but once again I was just pointing out so people who see this thread know there is a risk thats all.

Yeah.. no doubt it's a risk. I won't play the game, just because the penalties are ******* ridiculous. I'm not sure how they're rationalized.

I don't know how long you've been doing this, but i've been doing it for awhile as well and the worst situation i can recall is a client that ended up having to buy o/s, office and a/v because the ass that built the pc for them ended up putting pirated everything on it. The 'worst' part was the additional $400 they had to spend to get it updated.

But, it didn't hurt anyone, as far as i could tell the guy didn't charge them for pirated copies and no harm/no foul.

Pirating software/music/movies/porn is illegal, no denying that. But I still don't see the billions in real damages.

The only negative impact I've seen is organizations like the BSA acting like something Orwellian and getting away with their questionable tactics, ridiculous accusations and made up statistics to support their cause.

So, ultimately - my point is - yes, it's illegal. Is it wrong? Not up to me to decide.
I have yet to be shown that anyone can prove the kinds of losses that are purported to be related to software piracy.
A lot of things are legal that are wrong, a lot of things are illegal that are right.
Above all there are a lot of things about which there are laws that are NOT anyones business and legislating them is ridiculous and very wrong.
As long as software companies can control this aspect of law, they will continue to get huge, bloated and ridiculously powerful.
And their actions can be documented and supported by fact, unlike their claimed losses.

[Nix]

poop...:stare

[subliminal1284]

I agree if people arent planning on buying it regardless and they use a pirated copy there is no money being loss. I love open source software, most of it is free or very little cost. And it will soon be better than the corporate shit thats out there now, and if Linux and other open source software ever becomes mainstream microsoft and the Arrrr aye aye aye can kiss their whiny asses Goodbye.

[Go Speed]

I agree if people arent planning on buying it regardless and they use a pirated copy there is no money being loss. I love open source software, most of it is free or very little cost. And it will soon be better than the corporate shit thats out there now, and if Linux and other open source software ever becomes mainstream microsoft and the Arrrr aye aye aye can kiss their whiny asses Goodbye.


yep... I bought a tuner, hd video card, 7.1 sound card, mobo/proc/mem - spent less than $600. (not including the 6 250gb hds which i've collected over a year or so)
ALL the software, free - ubuntu, myth and linux mce, I've got myself a very cool media box to rip all my dvds/cds too and network around the house.

I would've spent another $300 for software that i didn't need.

[300pny]

Yeah.. no doubt it's a risk. I won't play the game, just because the penalties are ******* ridiculous. I'm not sure how they're rationalized.

I don't know how long you've been doing this, but i've been doing it for awhile as well and the worst situation i can recall is a client that ended up having to buy o/s, office and a/v because the ass that built the pc for them ended up putting pirated everything on it. The 'worst' part was the additional $400 they had to spend to get it updated.

But, it didn't hurt anyone, as far as i could tell the guy didn't charge them for pirated copies and no harm/no foul.

Pirating software/music/movies/porn is illegal, no denying that. But I still don't see the billions in real damages.

The only negative impact I've seen is organizations like the BSA acting like something Orwellian and getting away with their questionable tactics, ridiculous accusations and made up statistics to support their cause.

So, ultimately - my point is - yes, it's illegal. Is it wrong? Not up to me to decide.
I have yet to be shown that anyone can prove the kinds of losses that are purported to be related to software piracy.
A lot of things are legal that are wrong, a lot of things are illegal that are right.
Above all there are a lot of things about which there are laws that are NOT anyones business and legislating them is ridiculous and very wrong.
As long as software companies can control this aspect of law, they will continue to get huge, bloated and ridiculously powerful.
And their actions can be documented and supported by fact, unlike their claimed losses.


About 14 years now, yea software is a bunch of BS., No reason for me to do it and risk my job, certifications and/or reputation in the field.