Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Kanye West caught using Pirate Bay to download music software

arstechnica.co.uk

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 174 posts

Re: Kanye West caught using Pirate Bay to download music software

#61

Post by zanny »

tptacek wrote: post #57
r3bl wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The most amusing situation to me was when Carnage made a god-awful tutorial for Razer Music, in which he used a pirated version of Sylenth. Once he got called out by the public, he said[1] in a tweet: > “lmaooo wtf why does it matter?” LennarDigital (the company behind Sylenth) decided to reply to his tweet and said that they "are happy to make it a matter". He later on went and accused Razer that it was their laptop…

It's not actually true that you can "lose the copyrights to your music" if you use pirated software to produce it, is it? That doesn't sound at all true.

No, that is trademark, and that is only when trademarks are in open consideration for having become "part of the common culture".

Re: Kanye West caught using Pirate Bay to download music software

#62

Post by flurpitude »

cooper12 wrote: post #15

Meh, "people in glass houses...": > @deadmau5 > I used a pirated copy of sylenth on my last 4 albums. #TrueReveal https://twitter.com/deadmau5/status/367265601640603648 Steve Aoki was also caught using the above software in a music video with Linkin Park, though he proved that he had bought the software but his assistants installed a pirated version on his road laptop. http://stoneyroads.com/2013/08/steve-aoki-respon…

>To purchase the software you have to go through a bunch of screens, enter payment info, download, install, and then enter a serial number. For pirating software you just search for it and it's usually easier to install, with some cracks even bypassing steps.

For me that's counterbalanced by the fact that you never quite know what you're getting with pirated software. If I just buy it, I know I'm not infecting my main music computer with something nasty. Also, as a software developer myself I like to pay my peers for their work. And how much effort is it to enter a serial number?

My only anxiety is: what happens if I lose the serials? (I try to keep them backed up.) And will it be a huge hassle to move this stuff to another computer? If a company sells me software that's hard to move and reinstall when I change computers, I'm not likely to buy from them again.

Re: Kanye West caught using Pirate Bay to download music software

#63

Post by RUG3Y »

kdamken wrote: post #18

Not defending him here, he's a professional millionaire musician and should just buy it... But music software is a HUGE pain in the ass to purchase. Pro Tools, for example, is tied to a dongle. It's 2016, and that's still the security method they choose to use. Lose the dongle? You're fucked. It's unfathomably frustrating.

Reaper is something like $60.00, has an awesome free trial period and is just as capable for my needs as Pro Tools. Plus you get free upgrades.

Re: Kanye West caught using Pirate Bay to download music software

#64

Post by pierrec »

briandear wrote: post #54
pierrec wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

" To purchase the software you have to go through a bunch of screens, enter payment info, download, install, and then enter a serial number " You're forgetting the iLok. Physical license keys are one of those laughable gimmicks of pro multimedia. My laptop only has 3 USB ports - fairly normal - one is always taken up by this dead weight (or I have to use a hub). Plus, since iLok has the monopoly when it comes to dong…

iLok is starting to go away -- at least it has with Waves. Waves is dead simple to install these days.

Yup. The main reason I still need it is for East West virtual instruments. Hopefully it will get dropped as more iLok-protected software keeps getting cracked to show how ineffective it is.

Re: Kanye West caught using Pirate Bay to download music software

#65

Post by djhn »

ylhert wrote: post #59

Xfer records is very small, its just 2 people really (Steve and I). It's nice seeing this get so much attention. We are a very small company (if you can even call it that, I'm not even full time). Every sale is a big deal for Xfer, and piracy definitely hurts us. We don't have the resources to combat it, and we don't put restrictive copy protection on our software because we don't believe in hurting paying customers…

I reckon this will make you top the charts for VST plugin sales for this day, week and maybe even month.

Even if that means you will top the VST piracy charts...

In fact, is this just a genious marketing stunt..?

Re: Kanye West caught using Pirate Bay to download music software

#66

Post by KMag »

ylhert wrote: post #59

Xfer records is very small, its just 2 people really (Steve and I). It's nice seeing this get so much attention. We are a very small company (if you can even call it that, I'm not even full time). Every sale is a big deal for Xfer, and piracy definitely hurts us. We don't have the resources to combat it, and we don't put restrictive copy protection on our software because we don't believe in hurting paying customers…

> stealing it :(

While I empathize with most of your comment, you lost me at the end. Let's not use hyperbolic rhetoric. The crime is copyright infringement (unlawful copying), not stealing (theft), and not plunder and murder on the high seas (piracy). Yes, the sheet music publishers back in the day were able to convince people to use the language of the terrorism of their day (piracy). The hyperbole still harms discourse.

Re: Kanye West caught using Pirate Bay to download music software

#67

Post by ylhert »

ccallebs wrote: post #52

I understand that what Kanye did was as wrong as any other pirating. However, as a result of that screenshot that software got a free endorsement from Kanye West. I imagine that guy is going to wake up surprised this morning when he looks at total sales from last night.

It's not about that one missed sale, but think about all the (even high profile/rich) people who steal the software

Re: Kanye West caught using Pirate Bay to download music software

#68

Post by JonnieCache »

djhn wrote: post #65
ylhert wrote: post #59

Xfer records is very small, its just 2 people really (Steve and I). It's nice seeing this get so much attention. We are a very small company (if you can even call it that, I'm not even full time). Every sale is a big deal for Xfer, and piracy definitely hurts us. We don't have the resources to combat it, and we don't put restrictive copy protection on our software because we don't believe in hurting paying customers…

I reckon this will make you top the charts for VST plugin sales for this day, week and maybe even month. Even if that means you will top the VST piracy charts... In fact, is this just a genious marketing stunt..?

It's already arguably the most highly regarded VST synth for modern digital sounds anyway. Serum is basically the new massive. They don't need marketing stunts.

Re: Kanye West caught using Pirate Bay to download music software

#69

Post by ratsmack »

KMag wrote: post #66
ylhert wrote: post #59

Xfer records is very small, its just 2 people really (Steve and I). It's nice seeing this get so much attention. We are a very small company (if you can even call it that, I'm not even full time). Every sale is a big deal for Xfer, and piracy definitely hurts us. We don't have the resources to combat it, and we don't put restrictive copy protection on our software because we don't believe in hurting paying customers…

> stealing it :( While I empathize with most of your comment, you lost me at the end. Let's not use hyperbolic rhetoric. The crime is copyright infringement (unlawful copying), not stealing (theft), and not plunder and murder on the high seas (piracy). Yes, the sheet music publishers back in the day were able to convince people to use the language of the terrorism of their day (piracy). The hyperbole still harms disc…

Color it by any technicality you want, but it is taking something from somebody and in common vernacular, that is theft.

Re: Kanye West caught using Pirate Bay to download music software

#70

Post by wnevets »

KMag wrote: post #66
ylhert wrote: post #59

Xfer records is very small, its just 2 people really (Steve and I). It's nice seeing this get so much attention. We are a very small company (if you can even call it that, I'm not even full time). Every sale is a big deal for Xfer, and piracy definitely hurts us. We don't have the resources to combat it, and we don't put restrictive copy protection on our software because we don't believe in hurting paying customers…

> stealing it :( While I empathize with most of your comment, you lost me at the end. Let's not use hyperbolic rhetoric. The crime is copyright infringement (unlawful copying), not stealing (theft), and not plunder and murder on the high seas (piracy). Yes, the sheet music publishers back in the day were able to convince people to use the language of the terrorism of their day (piracy). The hyperbole still harms disc…

While I wanna agree with you, I feel like once you start making money off of someone else's unlawful copied software you're stealing.
Post reply on HN