One of the best things about the internet is the availability of all types of data. This would include anything from news articles, to online entertainment, to rich media, and even very expensive software.
As I had mentioned previously, I remember when I was younger how I downloaded full versions of very expensive software (like Photoshop) and how I thought it was the neatest thing ever. There was a time where I didn’t pay for any video games either.
But what happens when the tables are turned? What happens when someone takes some of your hard earned work and then begins to distribute it freely to the world?
I discovered this recently and here’s my response…
As you can see above we found a few copies of our WordPress Theme being pirated and given away for free.
You can also see how many times it’s been downloaded.
Wow.
But, here’s my response: Excitement.
You see, to understand my reaction is to first understand the sub-culture that we find ourselves in and the context of the digital world that we live in. To be found “worthy” is somewhat of an honor and distinction – it means that your software is worth the effort and time to be uploaded and then pirated.
Surprised? Perhaps. And sure, if every single one of those people who downloaded it had actually paid for the product we’d instantly have more than half a million in net sales and I could begin thinking about early retirement.
But, that’s not the point and that’s not the goal. But, here is one point to consider: We must be cognizant and aware of the culture and context in which we do work (and ministry) so that we can be the most prepared and effective.
I hope (and now expect) that our next revision of Standard Theme will be downloaded even more because it’s going to be that much more awesome. Can’t wait.
If you want something less serious, check out this comic.
Daniel says
While I’m sure you’re theme is up on pirate sites, the photo you took is from a fake torrent site.
Its set to put up whatever you google or a variant of it along with things like high speed, torrent, full, etc, as well as a downloads to make it look trustworthy.
Its basically to get people to sign up so they can download.
While I’m not sure exactly what kind of site it is, its not trustworthy.
If you want to check how much its really being pirated, I’d recommend thepiratebay, warezzbb, isohunt, trusted sites like that.
n/a says
Though I completely agree with you, I have one issue with this post
The image you have posted is one of those sites that will basically list ANY search phrase as available for download. See example below… furthermore, has standardtheme really been downloaded 33,000+ times for free?
http://torrentscan.com/#!q=standardtheme rocks hard&e=sumotorrent
Great point – maybe a bad illustration 🙂
Ted Carnahan says
The PHP code in all WordPress themes is required to be licensed 100% GPL compatible. You already know that because the purchase page for StandardTheme says that the theme is GPL.
That means, in short, that anyone who gets the code, whether they pay for it or not, has the legal right to give it to others for free. So even if it really was being offered to others on Bittorrent, it would hardly be piracy to download it. You can charge a fee for distribution, but no one has to pay it.
Kevin says
You might enjoy The Pirate’s Dilemma. It talks a lot about this dichotomy and is a pretty quick and easy read. And if you can find a digital PDF version the author is all about it being pirated (so does that make it legal?) to help spread the word. Read the book to find out why…
Kevin
http://opensourcechurch.com
Tom says
They haven’t
seenpirated anything yet ;).