Is this piracy?

[Ray Proudfoot 8,952]

Imagine this scenario. A popular 3rd party aircraft is withdrawn from sale for reasons not altogether clear. A user would like to acquire it but cannot purchase it. Is it morally or legally acceptable for someone who has purchased it to pass on the installer and registration details?

Of course it might not be possible for it to be successfully installed but that would only be known during the process.

Piracy is defined as stealing a product thereby denying the seller the money they would otherwise have earned. But as the product is no longer for sale is that relevant?

I can’t decide. What do you think?

[Sartanius 399]

Hi Ray.  I'm definitely not a lawyer, but I don't believe a license is invalid if the vendor removes their product from the market.  Unless the license specifically states it only applies if the product is still for sale, I expect it is still legally binding.  However, this is just an opinion.

[ZLA Steve 370]

I read the topic and thought - this will be a fun one...

A wise person once left me with this "If I have to question whether or not something is a bad idea, it probably is."

Edited October 21, 2019 by ZLA Steve

[FreeBird(Josh) 314]

I wouldn't debate it here. Just do what you feel is right for you.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,952]

1 minute ago, FreeBird(Josh) said:

I wouldn't debate it here. Just do what you feel is right for you.

I’m not divulging anything other than what I posted. I’m just curious about how the community feels about it.

[Space Monkey 24]

Would it depend on whether the company is still in operation or not ? 

If it is, could one express an interest in using the product and offer to make a payment or get a dispensation to use a copy.

If the company is defunct then could you argue it not legally wrong to use the product but (arguably) it is morally ? 

Don't know if the licence restrictions lapse with the company's demise ?

Regards Brian

[Ray Proudfoot 8,952]

@SpaceMonkey, the company is still operating. Not sure how they would feel about making a payment. Probably say they have no way of accepting it.

[Ron Attwood 3,464]

I would say yes, it is piracy however tenuous. How about this scenario. You have bought the product and need to reinstall it. You can download it but not install it because it needs to 'phone home'. But there is no longer 'a home' to phone. Would it be morally right to obtain a hooky copy?

 

[KrisJ 43]

Imagine the company is sold to someone and that someone decides to reactivate the product and restart selling it.

[Bob Scott 7,720]

The owner of a copyright does not relinquish his rights by taking his work off the market...it's still his to license/sell--or not to--as he sees fit. 

Sharing a copyrighted work or a password/registration key, even though the product is no longer sold, is just as wrong (and in most cases illegal) as doing it with an actively-marketed product.

 

[Patco Lch 1,465]

If you have to ask if there is anything wrong it's usually because that still small voice is nagging you that something doesn't seem right. Always best to heed that inner man. Much grief borne by many who didn't.

[G-RFRY 1,710]

I`m with w6kd on this if someone makes freeware then it`s ok to rip off his work and use it for payware and profit passing it off as your work. I don`t think so. 

Edited October 21, 2019 by rjfry

[Ray Proudfoot 8,952]

13 minutes ago, Ron Attwood said:

I would say yes, it is piracy however tenuous. How about this scenario. You have bought the product and need to reinstall it. You can download it but not install it because it needs to 'phone home'. But there is no longer 'a home' to phone. Would it be morally right to obtain a hooky copy?

The company involved have removed the link that requires it to ‘phone home’.

An interesting parallel is the decision by JDTLLC to make Radar Contact v4 available free of charge. With no other products that was an easy decision.

The company in question in my post does sell other products. One question to ask. Who loses out by it being given to another person? I can’t think of anyone.

[Reader 2,021]

1 hour ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Piracy is defined as stealing a product

answers the question, I think.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,952]

2 minutes ago, rjfry said:

I`m with w6kd on this if someone makes freeware then it`s ok to rip off his work and use it for payware and profit passing it off as your work. I don`t think so. 

Nowhere in my post did I mention ripping off someone’s work or passing it off as your own. Wrong deductions as the product cannot be modified.