Does copy protection create software pirates?

September 21, 2003 9:05:20 PM from WinCustomize Forums

So does putting copy protection on CDs thwart pirates or does it create more? How can you reduce software piracy?

This article says no: https://www.joeuser.com/index.asp?AID=209

My view is this:

1) CD copy protection mainly inconveniences legitimate buyers, not pirates.

2) Most game companies are completely unaware of how *convenient* piracy has become in the last couple of years. CD protection only adds more incentive to pirate. A casual gamer is likely to think "Why am I paying $50 for a game that makes me keep track of fairly delicate things (CDs) when I could, with a few clicks, have the game for free and not have to deal with copy protection?

3) The best way to combat piracy is to make the incentive for being a customer greater than the incentive for being a pirate. Give more benefits to purchasing such as free updates after release that are easy to obtain for legitimate buyers and more difficult for pirates.

That's in a nutshell. This issue really struck a nerve here because I'm packing up for a 3 day trip and as I go through a few games I'd like to play while on the plane or at night in the hotel, I realize that I don't want to take the CDs with me (what if they get scratched or lost?) which means no game. That's ridiculous.