[OT] - does IP exist?

[Jb]

"downs" <default_357-line at yahoo.de> wrote in message 
news:g8772n$lda$1 at digitalmars.com...
>>
>>
>> So Adobe may not have lost a sale but someone else has.
>>
>
> Indeed. GIMP has.
>
> Oh wait, they're open-source.

Well for sure, Linux has probably lost out aswell because of how easy and 
how many people pirate Windows.


>> Well I dont have sales figures, but i've heard the same story from 3
>> different developers. Ok 80% was the worst case scenario.
>>
>> That said, it's got to be bad or why would so many pro audio developers,
>> (and some of these are small developers, 1 or 2 employees), go to the
>> trouble of using hardware dongles, which chop 20-30% off their profits? 
>> Not
>> only do users have to buy the dongle themselves, developers have to 
>> licence
>> the drm software, and the hassle of building it into their apps.
>>
>> And on top off that they loose a fair percentage of existing customers
>> because many people simply wont use dongled products.
>>
>
> So .. is it actually worth it for them?

>From what I've been told yes. I dont know actual figures cause these are 
just people (other developers) i've chatted to in forums / mailing lists.

One of the main pro audio sites online KvR, there seems to be an anouncment 
every month or so of that the new version of XYZ will be using Syncrosoft, 
or Pace, or some such. And then the long customer revolt thread "they'll 
never get another penny from me"...

But I cant see how it couldnt be worth it. Many developers are adopting it, 
and afaik, none have dropped it yet. And it's been going on for a few years 
now.


>> Whether this is just somthing that's particulary bad in the audio 
>> software
>> industry I dont know, but of all my musician freinds I cant think of any 
>> who
>> would pay for software when they can get it for free. I can remember 
>> getting
>> "huh.. you piad for it??" quite a few times when telling them about some 
>> new
>> plugin / app i bought.
>>
>> They are happy to spend $4000 on a custom bass, or an electonic kit, or a
>> sampler, but software.. well they dont need to so they dont.
>
> I admit that appears weird. I'd certainly pay for any software I'd intend 
> to use
> in anything like commercial or public circumstances.
>
> I do hope that I'm not the exception.

You're not the exception, but I dont think you're the rule either.