[rick888]

If I release a proprietary software app and users start sharing copies of it for free online, I should have some legal recourse.

I'm really tired of hearing the same old arguments about how somehow this is helping me as a business by giving me "free advertising" and that "it doesn't actually affect sales negatively". It's not and it does. My own stats over the course of 10 years shows me that this is true. Big companies like Microsoft and Adobe can handle it because they have billion dollar budgets. I can't.

The problem isn't necessarily that one copy that's taken. It's the fact that when piracy isn't stopped, people start to first think that it's okay to get your stuff for free..and then they start to expect it, potentially putting you out of business.

Open source falls into a similar category. Except, it's your future job that's getting cheapened. Why would someone hire a software engineer to build an app when they can take a free one and hire much cheaper software mechanics? I've seen it happen already. In 10 years when the current generation (which is used to getting software free and is even more tech savvy than the previous generation) starts taking over current businesses, tech job salaries will be on the decline. I predict a developer union at some point.

I'm not going to take this and just let my business get ruined. I've converted all of my software products to services. Customers essentially are paying per-month for something they would have gotten for a flat-fee.

I don't mind, because it means I can more easily determine my profits for the year and I will make more money in the long-run.

[prodigal_erik]

> Except, it's your future job that's getting cheapened.

That is the economically proper result, it just looks bad when comapred to how developers and our employers have been ripping off software users for so long. Every time two or more of us write essentially the same code when implementations already existed but weren't freed, the industry has tacitly coöperated to inflate demand for software developers and pass on the costs of the wasted effort. The free software trend is not in my narrow interest, but I still think it is what should happen.

[billpatrianakos]

It seems you're speaking for people my age (I'm 25) and I'd agree with you 100%. I'm seeing far more comments here that support the free for all you describe than those simply frightened by the abuse this bill will likely be used for.

I have to say I'm anti-SOPA or people will start going off on me for lack of actually understanding my point.

But anyway, as far as those who say piracy is free advertising, that's total dog shit. The theory goes that those who pirate wouldn't buy the product anyway but I can easily disprove that. Here's how:

There are tiny minority who actually would never buy the product. They'd be negligible if piracy weren't so common these days.

Then we've got a group who can't afford it. These people will do one of two things: they'll either find a cheaper alternative or save up. Either way it doesn't hurt legit businesses.

That scenario plays out in a world where we've come up with a way to stop the majority of piracy. Currently what happens is that the people who wouldve gotten an alternative or saved up just pirate the damn thing. In this case they're not only hurting business but if they're one of the these Free Software crusaders then they're actually hurting their own movement! Our imaginary person could have chosen to use FOSS or Open Source but they go the pirated proprietary route instead.

There's also an undercurrent or a subtext here (whatever you want to call it) with a free software advocate slant. There are some free software evangelists that believe that by cutting into the profits of corporations, piracy is good. These people are only hurting their own movement for the reasons I've stated above. I see so many who'd force "Free Software" on us all because it is the One True Way. Well I'd say if you love freedom so damn much then let me be free to lock myself into whatever proprietary technology I want. Let me be free to vote with my wallet and to vote with what software I use.

I use Linux. I love it. I also love my Mac too. Im free to choose both and I'd be really angry if I had to choose one over the other because one group wanted to wage war against the other no matter who won.

To reiterate: SOPA bad. Piracy also bad.