With all the recent discussion about Adobe's Creative Cloud model and the polarizing opinions surrounding it, one of the topics people have been mentioning is how it will stop the pirating of Photoshop and other Adobe products in the suite. Some felt that many people were just upset with the model because it could no longer be pirated by those who did not pay.
Now that Photoshop Creative Cloud went live just the other day, we didn't know what to expect. However, news is out that just a day after the release, Photoshop CC has already been pirated and available. Although we do not condone piracy, we're shocked to see that it was that easy to circumvent the new model. The reason is how CC works, “An Internet connection is required the first time you install and license your desktop apps, but you can use the apps in offline mode with a valid software license. The desktop apps will attempt to validate your software licenses every 30 days.”
With the constant need for validation and continual updates through the cloud, many felt it would be difficult to pirate something that requires constant contact for it to stay updated. However, it took no less than a day for pirates to get around it.
We're not engineers by any means, however you would think that any means of pirating the software would have been cross checked so it would not be possible this time around. Considering Photoshop is one of the most pirated software in the world, is it by design that makes it so hard to stop? We'd like to hear your thoughts.
I'm surprised by how supportive, or maybe apathetic, people are about pirating, I doubt they would feel the same way if it was their business being screwed. Adobe makes a premium product, at a very very premium price, and if you can't afford, you really shouldn't have it. I do believe that the price point is high (was before and is now with CC), but that doesn't make it okay to steal. I am not pretending to be better than anyone else, I used a pirated copy of PS CS1 for a long time, and finally came to my ethical senses and bought PS CS5 at a good price, then upgraded to a CS6 suite at a good price. Since then, I no longer use bogus copies of anything.
It's wrong to steal and we don't get to decide who deserves to earn money for what they produce. If you want to show a company that you don't support what they do, don't buy or use their products. We have to stop living with this mindset that we are entitled to have whatever we want, because we're not.
Who said we are entitled to whatever we want? Sorry, missed that post.... Could you point it out to me?
No one said that, it's the conclusion I came to after reading through a lot (not all) the posts. Enough people are admitting to using pirated copies and believe it is okay to do so, therefore I believe that they feel entitled to have anything they want, in this case, that's Photoshop.
Totally agree with you and looking at this subject, it's just the two of us. Would people like it if they spent hours painting a masterpiece or months writing a full album of songs only to have it taken, copied and then distributed and getting nothing for it? This 'can't afford it so I should get it for free attitude' is pathetic and selfish.
Adobe should allow user to have free software when they stop supporting it and no longer can buy it... Make CS3 free to the public, you no longer support it, unless its the same thing as your current versions with just a 3 instead of 4 5 6 or css... point Jiffer!
The whold CS2 suite is currently available from Adobe for free and I would assume CS3 will be eventually too.
Piracy has always been a red herring. Revenue streams are why Adobe is forcing this down everyone's throat.
They don't really care about piracy that much. In some cases, piracy is actually good for Adobe (establishes the standard for what apps are WORTH being stolen, leading eventually to their adoption as the standard (PS) and ultimately to more sales)
Pirating is bad and pirates should feel bad.
Just like Microsoft where Windows are the most hacked OS in the world.
Some people must've really hate Adobe for forcing customer to use Adobe CC and actually did something.
A reminder to Adobe...
Feels kinda the same like what will happen to Xbox One...
Those who pirate will not purchase anyway, and vice-versa. Your talking about a sub-culture that lives for the hunt. Its the thrill of the chase that motivates. Doing what few can. They are not your every day consumer who his happy to shell out $200+ for some software they will only use occasionally to brighten up dark vacation photos. Have we not learned anything from the past?! In the data age there is not stopping information sharing. Sorry!
I dont think they are trying to prevent piracy with CC. They want to make it easy to have the software for a lower upfront cost which makes a big deal when thousands of dollars are not immediately available.
Okay, now stop bursting the bubble that PS isn't required software. People need to fall back on that fallacy so they can sleep at night! ;)
I hope Adobe realizes that they have the monopoly position they do in the market, partly because of pirating. Most professional customers buy their software, and these people do so because everyone learnt photoshop by pirating before they turned pro. If no one pirated photo editing software, Adobes cheaper competitors would have a lot more customers than they do now. I would go as far as to say that I am surprised Adobe doesn't offer free licenses to schools. The kids that learn photoshop in school and turn into pros one day: Of course they are going to buy Adobe Software and not some other company's alternative.
Adobe leak the cracked version themselves so more people will pirate it and learn how to use it, so that when they turn pro and go to G.D company, that company will have to buy a real copy of it.
The truth is they *WANT* you to be able to crack it. Anyone making reasonable money with photoshop will buy it- especially now with CC: where although it's more expensive long run, it's an expense you can plan for- like rent. For people who can't afford it- (yet), they let you crack it so that no other company can come along with a competing product and get a foothold in the market by having poor college students grow up with a different product. It's really clever. Those who pay, pay, those who can't- don't go to cheaper competitors.
Fact 1: Pirating/stealing is totally wrong and ilegal. Fact 2: There are many people aroun the world in this creative industry still can't afford the photoshop, even with new CC scheme but in the other hand they really need the photoshop. Probably Adobe should find a new solutions to eliminate this issues n grab more legal customer for their product. Let say, Adobe release a freeware photoshop version with limited features (not a normal trial version), then every single professional features are sale separately with affordable price. So, as a customer we have flexibility to choose which feature that we need, just like plugin or applications in the App store....
I don't think not being able to afford it is a valid excuse to copy it. I can't afford a '67 Mustang but I wouldn't steal one. Get Adobe Elements, that's what it's there for, or even GIMP which is free and pretty much IS Photoshop. I have to agree that this pay for rental idea is just not going to appeal to many people.
My Response to a comment made on a social site in which I questioned the monthly subscription fee; Cars are stolen and driven by people that don't own them every day, doesn't mean I should too. I'm very happy to pay for a product that enables me to do my work, or play, for that matter. Piracy will always be around, and thus stealing is rife, and many will choose illegal downloading as an option I'm sure. But it's not really an excuse to actually take part in it is it, just because it's there. I also see cars everyday.
My response to the statement;
No I think you've missed the point the whole idea of CC was to help prevent piracy, by "forcibly" controlling the use of the software by solely making it only available as an "online" program that way it should of been able to be controlled to help safeguard against copyright theft, kind of emulating big brother is watching (another topic of privacy that is a bug bear of mine) But to develop such a phenomenal programme and have it compromised in less than 24 hours which is the quickest Ive ever seen a program be broken into just shows that even with charging people a monthly fee that this can be futile attempt in trying to create innovation and taking ideas to the next level. Technology moves all the time. Software vastly outweighs hardware performance that can actually cope with the algorithms used in programming, some will scratch the surface but processing power will always be behind in terms of creative flair and processes that are required to fully utilise and harness the coding within a programme. I`m a person who does not like to be thrown down a one way street and told you want it then you have only one direction. The world is a free place but why should we have to pay to use a programme that ultimately turns to a dictatorship? because this new "upgrade" is just that.
With all the crap Microsoft is doing with the XBox One to piss off consumers, how much do you wanna bet that thing gets hacked before it's even released. Just like half the smartphones that come out these days.
I don't think they ever claimed it is unpiratable. It's just made it a lot easier to get a legal copy. If I would've needed Photoshop anymore for work, I would definetely get CC instead of pirating it. I jus t needed to slice my designer's PSD's. It just didn't make sense for me to pay that much money to buy the full Photoshop just for that.
Lets forget for a minute the smoke screen of licences and focus on the simple fact that I used to update Photoshop every 2 years for around £150 - £180 ..... this gave me the right to own the latest copy and the latest RW converter for my cameras.
Now I receive notice that a single application licence for Photoshop CC is around £20 a month !
This means only one thing to me .... it used to cost me £90 a year, now it will cost me £240 .
That's all there is, a simple price hike of nearly 300% as a time when businesses like photography are being decimated. I need my suppliers of services and tools to work with me through this, NOT push me to the wall. The only way to gain respect of the masses both for your products and your copyright is surely to work with them not stick it to them.
Would help if GIMP had a better community of help and tutorials around it, like Photoshop has.
This is the primary key difference I see between the two.
It would help if GIMP wasn't a convoluted pile of dog-doo. I rooted for GIMP to take a place as a really suitable replacement for Photoshop but after ten years it is the same messy GUI and awful design. They'll never over-take Photoshop. In their defense it is hard to compete with Adobe's development budget but it's just not a suitable replacement.
That is kinda my point, the core features of GIMP are sold enough to be a PS competitor. It is all the other stuff which needs to improve drastically, such as user interface, help, tutorials, bigger community, etc
I've been on both sides of the fence. When I graduated college I didn't have money so I used a cracked versions of Ai and Ps. Eventually I purchased a used version of Ai and eventually upgraded to the Student Edition of CS6 Production since my son is in high school. With CC Adobe offered $20 a month subscriptions for students so I jumped on it.
I think the problem going forward is $50 for pros is a great deal to have the latest updates. The casual user is caught in the middle. Some only use a couple of apps a few times a month. I know Adobe is looking at different subscription models, maybe a good balance would be $10 a month for casual users and $10 for each product you access that month. Or perhaps a fee based on how much you actually use the software say anything over two hours a month. The $10 would allow them to access their files and not lock them out of the software. Adobe wins by keeping the casual user who may upgrade when their budget allows.
Stop argueing and share the link to bit torrent =)
Here is why i use a pirated version of Adobe.
I live in a 3 world country, wit a monthly average income of $300
after the terrorist attacks of September eleventh, we were denied access to credit cards or us bank accounts. When you do find CS 6 box with cd installation, i will cost well over $2300.
My original version of LR 2 cost me $689, and i had to wait for three months before i got it.
And now you know why there always will be a market for pirated software, in my part of the world.
Then maybe you should be looking at a career that doesn't require professional tools. No excuse.
i never implied that i don't want to pay.
I just cant without credit card access and a developed world that keeps outsourcing at rates so low poor professionals, stay poor.
And 99% of the work done here is for the US market. Witch is constantly fighting for lower rates.
Where I can download this pirated version?
www.theinternet.com
I hope that when the pirate community release the fully cracked whole suite (because it will happen) that Adobe realizes that this model of revenue is flawed much like Microsoft did this week.
I want to buy my software and use for how ever long I decide, not you Adobe.
I'm sure they will. Now we will see if this model was really to protect from piracy, or just to create a constant revenue stream
good thing everything in the photo and creative world is so cheap already....said no one ever
THANK YOU PIRATES!! i might actually be able to get photoshop after all.
Don't Pay for adobe CC... if you train them this is ok, ALL other software manufactures will do the same... I don't care if you think it is a good deal or not, don't do it. Make a stand, don't just pay this Crazy price for nothing like you happily do at the gas Pump... What do you possible need to do to a photo that CS4,5, or 6 cant do? Put more effort into becoming a better photographer using your CAMERA and LESS into the 'Nothing' called Adobe CC.
But... but... there's all of those WONDERFUL "cloud features" to take into account. :) Seriously though, you are spot on. If Adobe does succeed, it will set a dangerous precedent. Can you imagine most/all of your software as subscription only? How much do you think THAT will add up to? Just don't do it and send Adobe a message: WE WANT CHOICE. We want the choice to buy a perpetual license that is updated every 18 months or so AND the ability to subscribe. Nice and easy.
Adobe is the best bar in the neighborhood, they have new costumers (at home free lancer or just everyday people) and loyal customers (schools and professional industries) coming in and out everyday. New customers spend money and so do the loyal ones.
After a customer buys a few drinks the bar often gives the next round free. Loyal costumers may get more of this privilege (educational discounts). POINT BEING the bar budgets those free drinks into their expenses. So in essence adobe knows they are giving out some free drinks, but they also know that money will always be spent on their awesome drinks and continue to be spent knowing that those free drinks can potentially bring in a paying costumer. so the piracy / cracking is already accounted for and thrown into the mix waaaaay before a release hits the market. So yea go crack that new cc (not really) because Adobe knows 1 out of 5 (made up stat for debate sake) of those customers who use it will eventually buy it, maybe not now or later but eventually. It's the nature of business. SO piracy actually keeps the machine in motion which is why adobe will always leave a window open for a straggler on the high blue sea.......
Unfortunately Adobe is not giving loyal customers this discount. After the special pricing dissolves, those of us who upgraded every other version will be paying MORE. So much for "loyal customers."
First - CC sub. only is a flawed model, neofeudalistic in intent, leaving the user app - less after the money's gone and creating a form of corporate dependance that hackers just love to hate. Who's surprised?
next - PIRATING = stealing with the INTENT TO SELL; making money off the stolen item(s). CRACKING = stealing for PERSONAL USE with NO intent to sell to others. There is a big difference. I believe adobe needs to feel the difference. No surprice that CC is already hacked. This most likely by cracks and not pirates. The standard of living in a country pretty much dictates the amount of hacking, pirating people feel they need to resort to. This is a global phenom and should indicate to adobe that their price structure and purchasing options need evaluation. End the joke and bring back CS full licensing option and then they will see just hwo many join the clown, I mean clowd.
everything that hurts adobe makes me smile these days.....
Give the software away...make it less about ease and more about the professional tools and sell a s*@% load of books and classes on how to use it.
...on 2nd thought people would just steal the books and pirate the online video classes... ;)
Thanks for the heads up, nerds. I'm downloading it now.
I saw an interesting comment on macintouch.com:
Because of all the updates to cloud versions I called Adobe to seriously
inquire about purchasing a subscription. I learned that after you cancel
your subscription, nothing you have will continue to work, and you have to
go back to any version you might still have on your computer before this
all started.
He told me about a 1 yr. $20/mo. deal, and I told him I was aware that
after the year promo, the price would become $50/mo. He said if I give
him my email, he'll get me started with links and enrollment. I paused.
He asked if I was ready to enroll now, and I said I'm happy to give him
my email for information, but I have some thinking to do regarding this
monthly fee that would obsolete my products totally if I stopped paying
it.
He asked again if I was ready to enroll now. I said I'm not sure. He
hung up on me. Literally. Not even a goodbye.
In his defense, he probably gets that answer from ALLOT of people. :)
Fstoppers logic: Accuse subset of readers of being "too cheap to pay for software" in other article; inform that cracked version is available on the web.
Dude makes a lot of crazy sense man, WOw.
www.Go-Anon.tk
All this means is Adobe is free to change their DRM to stop further downloads and that pirated copy isn't going to get any new features. (In 10 years, you can choose from pirated copies of Photoshop CC 2017-02-10, Photoshop CC 2019-04-23, or Photoshop CC 2021-06-08.)
I stopped upgrading PS several versions ago. I'm an amateur, not a pro, so PS doesn't 'earn' any money for me. It has become a burdensome expense, and considering how rarely I use the more esoteric features, PS became a luxury item. As such, it has to compete (in my budget) with the necessities and other luxuries.
I don't condone piracy, but if the new pricing model suggests anything, it suggests we've all paid WAY too much for previous versions.