please remove

Well, if he's an adult and so are you, you can mess around without juridic consequences. Be sure to wear protection though.

Anyhow, I take it you're having a problem with him being a warez user. How and why should that matter when the two off you are messing about on your machine? Or aren't you taking it that seriously and just want to pull a prank?

Just want to pull a prank. Stealing is stealing. He should be taught a lesson.

tell him you were told by a friend in "the service" that there's a virus in the keykode on the warez products that you heard even the best antivirus can't pick up , that sends all his personal info back to the fbi.

thats what im talking about wulfn1. Scaring him into removing all the software and buying it would be the desired result.

of course, if he surfs this site and reads this thread......

In the long run "messing" with someone will probably have the opposite result.  If you want to impress someone that it is better to be honest and above board its a real mistake to do that by becoming dishonest.  Once people catch you in even the smallest untruth it will be really hard to regain your credibility.

Ethically you are dead on GM. Too bad ethics and fun are opposites.

I don't know about that, NightTrain.  It feels pretty darn refreshing walking around feeling sure of who you are and knowing that other people know where you stand and respect you.

I say you tell him that Stardock is monitoring all serial numbers and reporting any serials that come up as doubles or not matching to an account. Then reporting the IP addresses of those computers to the authorities.

It's plausable...just hope he doesn't check this site.

Invite another friend over and then casually let it slip that this other friend works for the goverment on tracking down illegal software usage and the like. THat might make him sweat.

but a really good person

Like I said he is pretty decent

a thief is a thief

Whereas I come in from another side of the argument. I agree that stealing is stealing, and Warez is wrong, but it can generate sales of some products. I was of the great unwashed as it were, and I bought a Stardock subscription, and keep it renewed as possible given my finances. I warez'd WB since .8 release all the way to v2 I think it was might have been longer. My finances where different and my priorities where different as to supporting the softwares authors. Now if I like somethhing, and this is the key, the product needs to be really good, I buy it. But I am not going to lie and say I do not have any MP3's on my Drives, that I do not own the CD's too, or That I do not speed on the Highway, or Do some other minor infractions of the law whether knowingly or unknowingly. I say this "let he without SIN, cast the first stone." and the sins are many and varied in todays world but none are greater or lesser, well you know what I mean, besides murder and all that obvious stuff. You want to mess with the guy, just show him the actual side of WC, where Brad offers Jobs to User, and that 15 year old create the software and go on to great heights, the side where a site gives more than it ask for in subscription fees. Show him this stuff, Heck show him this thread, and He'll get the point. The thing about Warez, and of this I know of which I speak ( I am old school Net Use here) it is alot more cool to think you are in a elite release group, and it is easier to play elite Warez'R than to make it as a real, bonifide Cracker. Those that are not going to pay for something, will never pay for something, it is not a lost sale because it never was a sale to begin with. Education is the best way to bring it to a stop, but alot of people view it in the same light as Civil Disobedience, and with anaonymity on the web a gaurentee, it will never stop. Ahhh! Well, just try and show him how a supported and paid for app thrives, like it does here.

but the ends doesn't justify the means.

I understand what you a trying to get accross, 100 percent right, and ideally in a perfect world, black and white issues are adhered too, and rules are followed, but you live in a flawed, egotistical, imperfect society and human nature being the way that it is the world is flawed. The best you can do is try and keep yourself as straight and narrow as possible, and give a nudge to others when you can.

Post 12

"let he without SIN, cast the first stone."

That old chessnut is often used by those trying to justify their miscouducts.

Ahhh! Well, just try and show him how a supported and paid for app thrives, like it does here.

I warez'd WB since .8 release all the way to v2 I think it was might have been longer

Bit of a conflict here - have you reimbursed Stardock now that your Financial situation has changed. While Stardock was striving to develop - You were doing what?

Now if I like somethhing, and this is the key, the product needs to be really good, I buy it. But I am not going to lie and say I do not have any MP3's on my Drives, that I do not own the CD's too, or That I do not speed on the Highway, or Do some other minor infractions of the law whether knowingly or unknowingly

Does this mean you only warez products that don't fall into the "really good" categories. And you drive around the highways from time to time putting other innocent lives in danger. I don't consider speeding
a minor infraction of the law.

Now I don't skin, I can only contribute financially. I know you have been around since the year dot and may have done enough for the commuity in that time to atone for your earlier indiscretions but I find your post a little odd. I didn't say "stealing is stealing" I said a "thief is a thief"

IMHO, you'd be better off just telling him what you think. He'll either agree or he won't. If you get him hacked off at you for pranking him, you virtually assure he'll only be more convinced that he's right and you're wrong. Obviously you don't like what this guy is doing because he's pirating software you like and support. Would you really be as worked up if he were just running some warez you'd never heard of, or DLing movies off Kazaa of Emule? I understand wanting to put a little scare into him, but I doubt it'll teach him anything. Worse still, it could turn your girlfriend against you if she doesn't see the whole point of your prank.
/me gets off his soap-box now.

Email me his 'nick' as I assume he is a member of Wincustomize.com.

He can/will have his access revoked.

This is property rights protection, nothing more.

If you wish it all to be a 'prank'....it isn't, just tell him he is stealing from your 'friends' specifically....and he needs to adjust his attitude....

I won't turn this into a flame war.

"What part of 100 percent correct" do you not understand?

Also as to Old Chesnuts. The Law never encompassed, Warez'ing until 1997, when the NET act was passed, to close the LaMacchia Loophole.
http://www.defacto2.net/web.pages/Warez%20Trading%20and%20Criminal%20Copyright%20Infringement.pdf
Excellent PDF on this very Subject
Now as to the Second "Chestnut" Criminal Copyright infringement
That is defined as " Criminal Infringement.— Any person who infringes a copyright willfully either—
(1) for purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain, or " http://assembler.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode17/usc_sec_17_00000506000-.html Cornell EDU

We can debate this back and forth all night and make everyone mad, as well and stir up all kinds of fuss. I still peruse Usenet, and will burn in hell for it. I try something If I like it I buy it, if I don't "I don't" it's that simple, but my twist on this is also I do alot of Tech Support, and it is my Proffession, I have solved alot of calls just because I am familiar with alot of the software I have tried, and have discovered the Bugs inherent in them, thier quirks, and other miscellanious ins and outs. This is not a justification, just a statement of fact. If a piece of software is CRAP, it gets off my box, if it is good it gets bought. I bought HoverDesk on this very principle.
A thief is a thief, you are 100 percent correct there also. That is a redundant statement.
"There must be a taking from the possession, actual or implied, of the owner hence if a man should find goods and appropriate them to his own use, he is not a thief on this account." http://www.lectlaw.com/def/l007.htm Lectlaw definitions Site
Now Most Warez, that are released to non groups are in Usenet, this is the hidden secret of the whole mess, and something that will not be shut down, by the government, as it goes beyond the goverment to do so. You can "find" just about any Application you want there, and are therefore not Larcenous, or a thief by total definition. This is all a matter of semantics. The Patriot act is Illegal, and yet it is passed and stands, do you hold your government to the same standards as the Warez'R? Sure ya do. Yeah Right... How bout the Stamp Scandals performed by our Elected Reps? These are the same people that change the "Acts" they do not like and Enact the ones they do. If the law does not work, rearrange it to suit your needs.

The best thing to do is to leave the Lawyering to the Lawyers and try and be your own moral compass on this issue, all it does is cause fights. Law, Politics, Liquor, Religion and Women they all do, almost all of the time.
Education is the best policy and improper action via vigilanism could lead into an ever stickier morass.
[Message Edited]

'Personal financial gain' is 'getting something for nothing and avoiding payment', aka 'theft'.

It's not really open to interpretation or debate....

Provided by http://dictionary.reference.com/ Dictionary.com
Finance-
1. The science of the management of money and other assets.
"No"
2. The management of money, banking, investments, and credit.
"Not this one"
3. Monetary resources funds, especially those of a government or corporate body.

"This looks close but as the there is no monetary resource involved, how does it qualify, but funds refers to money as a managed resource, and it just around further."

4. The supplying of funds or capital.
"Ummm No"

Financial - Of, relating to, or involving finance, finances, or financiers
"Ummmm No"

Gain - To come into possession or use of
"Ummm Yes"
To attain in competition or struggle win:
"Umm No"
To obtain through effort or merit achieve:
"Ummm No"
To secure as profit or reward earn:
"No for sure"

Like I said the Lawyering can go round and round, and it is a matter of symantics, the Copyright laws are a Farce anyways, the Rights of the US People were stolen By Sony Bono, and Walt Disney along, long time ago, and they are basically granted in perpertuity now. So we should just let this all drop. Like I said the orinal Copyright "act" wasn't good enough so they changed it and ripped off the American People, another act that didn't go the way the Gov wanted..so they changed it.

I will be glad when the Galactic Overlords get here. We need a change of pace.

Jafo, I will agree to disagree, on certain parts of this thread.
After they passed the "Bono Act" I gave up on it all, anyways.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Bono_Copyright_Term_Extension_Act
Wikipedia Link and a Darned good read if I might say so...

No prank needs to be played.  No need to scare him or make him feel like a criminal. The only thing you can do is tell him that Stardock is a nice and decent company that supports the skinning comminity and its talented artists.  Better than trying to make him feel like a criminal, you can try to make him feel a little guilty.

I have used warez, and still do on occasions. Mostly for some software I am just curious about. I usually try them out then uninstall them after I saw what they were about. Latest example is Vue D'Esprit. I saw some wallpapers made with it and wanted to know if it was a "push a few buttons and let the software do the work" kind of software. Helps me determine the true value of some wallpapers submitted here.  Also, my first versions of Windowblinds were warez. Until I fell in love with the Stardock programs. I went from a warez version of Windowblinds to buying the whole Object Desktop suite. But that was years ago.

My point is that you're not going to get anywhere with "warez are illegal" or "stealing is stealing" with him. Make him WANT to buy the software in order to support a great product.

hmmmm... you want to mess with him???

CygnusXII....if you obtain 'property' without recompense to its rightful owner that is either theft, theft by finding, or 'receiving stolen goods'.

There's no need to quote me dictionary definitions.....surely you know that much by now....

Stardock's Principal and 'employees' I regard as my friends....and I don't much like my friends' livelihood threatened by freeloaders [that's the polite term] through loss of income, potential or otherwise.

I personally would hate to think my efforts as a site admin on Wincustomize were inadvertently to a Stardock warez-user's [read 'Stardock non-supporter'] benefit in any way, shape or form.  I certainly don't think highly of allowing it to perpetuate unadressed.

Call me pig-headed, but that's life.....

As Paxx says....try to convince him of the error of his ways, and don't try ridicule/humiliation, it'll work against you...