word.Quote:
Originally Posted by sportzguy933
word.Quote:
Originally Posted by sportzguy933
I know.
It's funny.... any time there's a converation of opinions, there's always someone with nothing to add that has to chime in with pointless blather.
I love Romper Room... uh... I mean Flashkit.
word! lolQuote:
Originally Posted by JayCharles
JayCharles: You like picking fights don't you :).
http://flashkit.com/board/showthread.php?p=3421924
lol.
Only with you, Junior.Quote:
Originally Posted by sportzguy933
Juinor? What is this about?
Seeing as you're writing "Sports" with a "z" your age is probably closer to 12 than 21.Quote:
Originally Posted by sportzguy933
i don't know but JayCharles is one funny guy :D
I think alot of people here posting "throw him in jail", do not fully understand how that can effect ones life.
I'd liek to see how many of you would still have that same opinion and be so non-chalant about it..like its no big deal. Prison IS a big deal..and should be weighed heavily before invoked for a crime such as these.
again before anyone mis-reads this (yet again).. I am NOT saying he shouldnt be punished.
Yes jail is a big deal, so is pirating software.... others are being non-chalant about it. That is the penalty currently in place for pirating software. Don't like it? Start a new thread about who should and shouldn't go to jail and how laws need to be changed, or another thread about how software makers should charge less to prevent piracy and allow highschool students working at taco bell to afford it...
It's not like he didn't know what the consequences were getting into it... and getting busted the first time. Hell if I knew I could make that much money starting a warez site and didn't have to go to jail if I got caught I might register a new domain today!
Like someone said... he pirated, he goes to jail... get over it.
LOL @ MS Word
Okay, I understand that you aren't taking the position that he shouldn't be punished.Quote:
Originally Posted by whispers
I also agree that prison is a big deal. Jail is ugly, scary, and lonely, and is the last place I'd ever want to be. Having been in jail follows you for the rest of your life, both in emotion and on paper. That's why I live my life on the straight and narrow.
What needs to be understood is that the punishment of jail time is supposed to be a deterrant needed to dissuade people from commiting criminal acts. If we start re-evaluating the punishment for crimes like this, the deterrant value is seriously compromised. The basic understanding we should all have is that if we commit a crime, we should expect to rot in jail for it.
As aversion so accruately stated, the punishement handed down to Flashlevel will likely cause other people running the same criminal racket to shut down, and may also stop other people from doing it who might have done so otherwise. This is becuase there is now reality to the threat as related to the crime of software piracy. Case law is a powerful thing, and I wouldn't be surprised if this case is cited in future prosecution of pirated software vendors in the US.
Anyone who commits a crime is (or at least should be) fully aware of the potential consequences, and I really don't feel any sort of sympathy for those who end up paying the price for their indiscretions.
The other side of this that we haven't discussed yet is the potential for civil action brought by the damaged parties. Since the person in question was tried on federal statue, there's nothing preventing the software companies from bringing their own civil action for damages suffered. I would suspect that at least one of those software companies will make an example here.
I understand what you're saying but he must have known he could be going to jail, that's the point, he knew when he did this that he was risking going to jail.Quote:
Originally Posted by whispers
I don't really see anyone here saying that it's not a big deal to go to jail, and personally I don't think it's necessarily in these kind of cases, but he knew, he knew that was he was doing could land him in jail and it did. Prison is definitely a big deal, and it's as much a deterrent as it is a punishment, without some risk a lot more people would be stealing, community service just isn't enough of a deterrent.
two points I find valid:
a.) ok..I can see the "derterant" being big..otherwise it doesnt do its job.. the fear is what keeps the "people" in "check"....
b.) he was caught once..and did it again....so this may be pointless in this specific case...
however, I still feel it is a waste that someone with a skill set will probably never be sucessful again after prison. not to mention the criminal record which bars you from almost anything that makes decent money..... recovering from financial and family matters also take years to recover from if ever.
I just think there should be a meeting point....
In reality..what is sending him to prison going to do?..I believe nothing.. deterants dont do much...its he thrill of getting away..or out of neccessity that people do crimes usually. Everyone knows if you kill someone you'll go to jail for life..or be executed...murders happen daily..yet the "punishment" is widely known..
Everyone screaming about the end users..and the companies....what does THIS do for them? Where is the recovery of revenue at?.. I knwo this is the LAW..and thats just how it is...doesnt mean I have to agree with it.. I think its stupid..and does nothing for society or our judicial system as a whole.
So not not only are the companies NOT getting any kind of retrobution, this guys isnt producing an income (ie: family responsibilites), not paying taxes (even LESS money to the government), hes doing nothign but sitting there.. if I was a company..I would rather his time be better spent trying to pay back the loss of revenue...no?
I agree, prison is just pure punishment to someone in his situation, I don't think there's any genuine intention of imprisonment other than to punish someone for doing wrong. It's not think they're trying to rehabilitate him, just punish him for what he did. I'm not necessarily against that to be honest.
There are perhaps work programs in the prison that can take advantage of his skills, he could teach other inmates design for example, at least there should be that kind of thing. As it's Texas I'm not so sure he'll be doing anything but laundry or making licence plates.
I don't think there's any relationship between his punishment and 'making good' for his crimes, and again, I'm not sure there has to be in his situation. The greatest service he's going to be doing for anti-piracy is by serving as a warning to others who are thinking about doing this.
The will not regain their revenue, but they will no longer be losing revenue from him while he is in jail.Quote:
Originally Posted by whispers
And other people are a lot less likely to try ripping them off after seeing what happened to flashlevel.Quote:
Originally Posted by TallGuyLittleCar
At very least, it will temporarily remove him from the society he has damaged. At best, it will prevent him from comitting crimes again.Quote:
Originally Posted by whispers
What it does for them is provide a true and painful penalty for those that will steal from them. I'd say that has tremendous value.Quote:
Everyone screaming about the end users..and the companies....what does THIS do for them? Where is the recovery of revenue at?.. I knwo this is the LAW..and thats just how it is...doesnt mean I have to agree with it.. I think its stupid..and does nothing for society or our judicial system as a whole.
Society benifits by a) having a criminal removed from the public, and b) restates the idea that there is a price (and a heavy price) for being a criminal.
Not as a result of the criminal prosecution... but the damaged parties can still file civil action to attempt to recover damages. Even if they can't actually collect the money, they can forgive the debt post-judgement, 1099 the defendant for the amount forgiven, and legitimately write off the loss. It doesn't make complete restitution, but it's a hell of a lot better than nothing and improves the company's balance sheet. At that point, the defendant will need to deal with the IRS about the taxes that will be due as a result of the 1099.Quote:
So not not only are the companies NOT getting any kind of retrobution,
Alternately, they can sell the judgment to a junk debt buyer and do the same sort of writeoff. Then, the junk debt buyer can destroy the criminal's credit, and ultimately forgive the debt and 1099 in the same manner the software company could.
So, if i steal a car, and then work to pay for the car after I get caught, I shouldn't spend time in jail for it? Doesn't work that way.Quote:
this guys isnt producing an income (ie: family responsibilites), not paying taxes (even LESS money to the government), hes doing nothign but sitting there.. if I was a company..I would rather his time be better spent trying to pay back the loss of revenue...no?