These days, it is smarter for a developer to say nothing other than what their product can do.
Saying things like "We have ramped up the security" or "Our software is uncrackable"... all that does is inspire the Edmund Hillary style crackers to treat it as Mt.Everest. Sure enough.....not uncrackable. Saying things like that is definitely like waving a red flag at a bull.

 

Fully agree.
There is nothing uncrackable in software and will never be.
This copy protection mania is only based on the misleading advertising of the copy protection manufacturers.
An Authorisation should therefore always be limited to personalizing a key with a name (like uh-e, sylenth1...). Anything beyond that is useless and unsympathetic.
And it only punishes the legitimate users - with slower software and endless auth session after exchanging the machine - for buying the software.

 

Totally agree. This is what so many people hate about the online auth system and also online subscriptions to run an application.
It turns the app into a dog. What happens if the ISP goes down, or they get a DDOS attack, or any other myriad of possible issues? The user pays for it.

 

very good points. And to add one thing: what if a manufacturer simply gives up his business?

I've had this several times...

Spoiler: I've had this several times

with expensive 3D-software and other business software.That's why I love and I need cracked software, because my business depended on those softwares and I couldn't get it to work to render out a customers logo animation. Server dead, email dead. No help. But a cracked version saved my life (That was back in 2005 - Katrina). Today it's even much worse with those always online auths ...

...
Thus nowadays it is an argument for buying software when a cracked version is available. Especially for small manufacturers that can go bankrupt tomorrow.

 

Last edited: Oct 31, 2021

I have a lot of software I own because I use it all of the time. That software is not susceptible to online authorisation other than a single registration. A lot of it is cracked out there and available and I do not begrudge anyone for using cracked software or cracked versions of the software I own. I get more pissed off with registered users who abuse the system for everyone else who is registered. That said, if any of the software I own goes to a subscription model or requires me to perpetually login just to use it, then I will seriously consider the cracked version as replacements. I believe if you buy something, you own it. Subscription is similar to renting, perhaps even worse as it is rare to find a six-month lease. Also, with some software that is complicated, you need more than 30 days to truly get the feel of it so cracked software definitely fills that 'try-before-you-buy' void with software that is not simple.

 

even without crakker crooz a program without any protection would be shared by many.
I think Reaper is doing pretty well though.

 

Guys, these talks only take into account our perspective, as warez users. But reality is another thing. The big companies know very well that their products will be cracked, it is only a matter of time. And they know very well that they will benefit too, as is happening to Softube this year, to Waves in all these years, to Plugin Alliance which is billing like never before in its history, to SSL and many others.
From the massive attacks of R2R, everyone is benefiting, both the users who cannot afford it, both those who will go to buy it, the progressive elimination of the dongles, and the large companies that will benefit from it in massive purchases.
And remember, there are two types of warez users: those who will never buy software in their life, regardless of financial availability, and those who will buy them as soon as Black Friday arrives.

 

Is it okay to discuss warez software in this forum?

 

Honestly, I am a fan of the subscription model for high value software, because I think it provides a cheaper point of entry and helps people have legit software, thus avoiding the circle of “download cracked, try for a lot bit then move onto the newest cracked” without really putting the time and effort into learning what they already have (and wasting time trying to find the latest working cracked version). Don’t get me wrong, I completely agree with some of the arguments against, but I do feel that the positives for users (you can get hold of it for a period of time at a lower value and if it’s not for you, the financial outlay is considerably lower, to maintain subs, developers have to continually update or people with move as they don’t have the heavy financial commitment) outweigh the negatives over say a 3-4 year period, and by that time you would have probably paid again for upgrades.

What I will say though, is that I would be subscription all day long compared to the likes of companies that release software and then do things like 90% discount. Saw the post about Reverbs, someone mentions the Waves H-Delay for about $29.99, which is 90% off with a coupon code. Now imagine you are all new to this, doing your research on the best all-rounder plugins to get, you spend $300 on a plug-in, and just because you are new, you don’t know when the likes of Waves do sales, so you buy it, then 6 months later, you see it for that kind of discount. That’s abhorrent behaviour really by the companies, and I’m sure would convince even the most straight-laced user to go down the piracy route!

 

I totally approve. In fact this year I bought seven products from Softube in 10 months (all at big discount), and I have not bought any Softubes in all these years before 2021. I think as far as I'm concerned, it was the help of R2R to make me buy those products.

 

Here's a hypothetical..what if R2R were to contact these cash-flush software companies and make them "an offer they can't refuse"? Say..R2R won't crack their warez if the company pays them a commission on sales?

Of course, I'm going to want my 10% consultant fee for suggesting this marketing idea

 

Just to quote a few. Man, despite my moderate hangover you guys already made my day
Edited: ok, evening lol

 

This has most likely already happened.
However, I believe that the companies will not generally get involved in this kind of protection racket.

 

Not against the rules as long as we don't post liks to warez sites.

Thank you @DoubleTake that was one negation too much

 

Last edited: Nov 1, 2021

Audio devs should make something similar to steam or splice for plugins. They will save a lot on trying to protect their products.

 

Oops! I thought that the only possible reason for these lies would be to push legit "+softube faster loading" above the R2R superior versions, in search results. Turns out Softube just enjoys lying about their crappy-performing plugins!

 

Last edited: Oct 31, 2021

Well... still not the root of the problem, it starts and end with the principle debate on intellectual property, but please board, just don't.

 

none of that can outdo the top story where waves switched from double 24.8 to a floating point mixing engine only 3 months after the XVX crack, which did exactly that (among other things)

 

I did some math on that a little while back basing all the software I might use as well as what I own if I turned what is not subscription into $20 per month per major piece. I cannot afford it

 

I was more meaning “bundles”, like all Waves, FabFilter etc… compared to if you bought them all at once. Obviously everyone’s personal finances, which plug-ins / instruments they use and their work flows differ.

if say for example you bought your DAW, that can vary from Repear to Cubase, then buying say a Waves bundle, it’s a big outlay, but if you had say 40 a month that covered the DAW plus their instruments and all Waves, then it’s more manageable without the outlay, plus you would possibly give each of the features within the bundle (certainly the plugins) more of a go to get what you want from them.

As I have said, it’s just personal opinion, and I certainly get why not everyone is a fan!