Malwarebytes gives pirates a free pass as company migrates to new licensing system
49 replies, posted
[img]http://technews.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Malwarebytes.png[/img]
The makers of the popular anti-malware software, Malwarebytes, announced earlier this week that anyone with a counterfeit code for Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Software (MBAM) will soon be given a legitimate code in its place. Instead of punishing pirates, Malwarebytes has developed an Amnesty Program to protect its Anti-Malware Premium customers “who have been inconvenienced by piracy or abuse.”
It doesn’t matter if you made a shady purchase or you happened upon a Malwarebytes key posted in an underground forum. They’ll give you a 100% legit key and let you activate Malwarebytes Premium at absolutely no cost. The subscription is good for 12 months and the hope is that (former) pirates will take the olive branch, use the key, and then decide Malwarebytes really is worth a few bucks a year. [URL="http://news.filehippo.com/2015/07/malwarebytes-giving-pirates-keys-treasure-chest/"][Click here to read more][/URL]
this is either a terrible idea or a really good idea
A smart move
Good on them to do this.
It's amazingly funny how this is actually going to work extremely well most likely. Just letting it go will likely make less people pirate.
but if they imposed a nazi-tier drm that required always online and really excessive hardware checks and a registration system they'd probably make piracy shoot for the skies and be cracked 5 days before release. Why do companies even bother.
really cool business model, hope it works well for them!
That's something I didn't expect, their policy is usually against piracy.
[editline]5th July 2015[/editline]
At least in their support section.
[QUOTE=Mislum;48126981]That's something I didn't expect, their policy is usually against piracy.
[editline]5th July 2015[/editline]
At least in their support section.[/QUOTE]
It is. They refuse to help you if you have a problem with their software if they see you have a pirated program or game on your PC.
Is there a way to get a code if you haven't pirated it, but without paying?
how does mbam size up against other alternatives? should i switch to it?
[QUOTE=Anti Christ;48127416]how does mbam size up against other alternatives? should i switch to it?[/QUOTE]
Cant speak for it in its' current state, but i would use it pretty religiously to scrub computers about 5 years ago.
[QUOTE=kenji;48127423]Cant speak for it in its' current state, but i would use it pretty religiously to scrub computers about 5 years ago.[/QUOTE]
I use it to scrub computers today
[QUOTE=Anti Christ;48127416]how does mbam size up against other alternatives? should i switch to it?[/QUOTE]
It's not really used like a conventional anti-virus. It's more of a supplemental thing where you scan every once in a while, or specifically when you need it, so instead of switching TO it, you'd probably use it with whatever you use now.
[QUOTE=deathrat;48128013]It's not really used like a conventional anti-virus. It's more of a supplemental thing where you scan every once in a while, or specifically when you need it, so instead of switching TO it, you'd probably use it with whatever you use now.[/QUOTE]
That's the free version, the premium one the thread is about has real-time protection like any other antivirus
My premium key ran out a few weeks ago. Great.
[QUOTE=Anti Christ;48127416]how does mbam size up against other alternatives? should i switch to it?[/QUOTE]
[del]FYI, it's never intended as a proper antivirus. They make it clear you are suppose to use it as a supplement along with antivirus software such as Avast, Kaspersky, and the like.[/del]
It has a pretty unique position in the AV ecosystem. The free version is highly recommended and the paid license will only improve the service.
I've only used the free version so I can't say much of it's worth it.
edit: like the dude two posts above, the paid license provides active protection so if you use the free ver, you need another AV with active proc
[QUOTE=Mastermind of42;48128091]FYI, it's never intended as a proper antivirus. They make it clear you are suppose to use it as a supplement along with antivirus software such as Avast, Kaspersky, and the like.
It has a pretty unique position in the AV ecosystem. The free version is highly recommended and the paid license will only improve the service.
I've only used the free version so I can't say much if it's worth it.[/QUOTE]
It's basically a tool to catch stuff that traditional AV's don't cover.
Why is facepunch so pro-pirates? I don't see why on earth anyone would support someone paying for something and someone else getting it for free because they broke the law. Totally fair.
[QUOTE=Starship;48127071]It is. They refuse to help you if you have a problem with their software if they see you have a pirated game on your PC.[/QUOTE]
Why does it matter to them how I got my games? If I bought their software, paid for a subscription, they have no legal recourse to denying me service because they think I pirated a game.
[QUOTE=Baron von Hax;48128203]Why is facepunch so pro-pirates? I don't see why on earth anyone would support someone paying for something and someone else getting it for free because they broke the law. Totally fair.[/QUOTE]
It's really hard to find people on the internet [I]not[/I] in favor of (or at least permissive of) piracy.
Since it's more pleasurable to pirate, I feel that people have a vested interest in existing in a reality in which piracy is morally OK, and try their hardest to find evidence that it doesn't hurt anything (some will even tell you that it's good for the content creators).
[QUOTE=Baron von Hax;48128203]Why is facepunch so pro-pirates? I don't see why on earth anyone would support someone paying for something and someone else getting it for free because they broke the law. Totally fair.[/QUOTE]
Honestly I just want to see another game dev tycoon incident because that was funny as hell.
[QUOTE=Tone Float;48128277]It's really hard to find people on the internet [I]not[/I] in favor of (or at least permissive of) piracy.
Since it's more pleasurable to pirate, I feel that people have a vested interest in existing in a reality in which piracy is morally OK, and try their hardest to find evidence that it doesn't hurt anything (some will even tell you that it's good for the content creators).[/QUOTE]
I'm totally against piracy. I've always paid for my games/films/TV shows, you name it, so it makes it more annoying when some fucking spastic starts spurting shit about (the very few) benefits of pirating (most of it will be them trying to persuade themself) and then openly encouraging it online to the extent when people that pirate are basiaclly rewarded for doing so by companies and fucking over the customers that actually fucking paid actual fucking money. Seriously, fuck those guys.
wait mbam is yearly subs now? Mine is lifetime.
[QUOTE=Baron von Hax;48128311]I'm totally against piracy. I've always paid for my games/films/TV shows, you name it, so it makes it more annoying when some fucking spastic starts spurting shit about (the very few) benefits of pirating (most of it will be them trying to persuade themself) and then openly encouraging it online to the extent when people that pirate are basiaclly rewarded for doing so by companies and fucking over the customers that actually fucking paid actual fucking money. Seriously, fuck those guys.[/QUOTE]
Some people have no choice but to pirate stuff. HBO doesn't let people outside the US watch GoT or something, that's why it's the most pirated show.
What about teenagers with no income who want a lot of videogames but can't keep asking their parents for money? What if they need a good VST to make good music but lack of money stops them early and they don't get a chance to develop their potential talent?
[QUOTE=SebiWarrior;48128552]What about teenagers with no income who want a lot of videogames but can't keep asking their parents for money? What if they need a good VST to make good music but lack of money stops them early and they don't get a chance to develop their potential talent?[/QUOTE]
if you want video games but can't pay for them then gain the means to pay for them. there's no excuse for theft. There are also plenty of good and free VSTs, and if you think you need a certain VST to make good music then you probably can't make good music
I don't support or condone piracy and I pay for all my shit, but I also don't think piracy is an act of satan that sucks up all of these multi-billion dollar corporation's profits.
Half the problem with piracy is that some shit just isn't available in some countries. I'm sure Australians would love to buy many of their shows, movies, and games [i]if it was possible to do so.[/i]
[URL="http://www.tcs.cam.ac.uk/interviews/0012301-interview-gabe-newell.html"]Gabe Newell talked about piracy in an interview a while ago and it's a good read.[/URL]
[quote][I]Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a sensitive issue. Many games have been the subject of boycotts due to a draconian use of DRM. The most extreme DRM forces players to be online, and to stay online, if they wish to play the game. What are your views on DRM?[/I]
In general, we think there is a fundamental misconception about piracy. Piracy is almost always a service problem and not a pricing problem. For example, if a pirate offers a product anywhere in the world, 24 x 7, purchasable from the convenience of your personal computer, and the legal provider says the product is region-locked, will come to your country 3 months after the US release, and can only be purchased at a brick and mortar store, then the pirate's service is more valuable. Most DRM solutions diminish the value of the product by either directly restricting a customers use or by creating uncertainty.
Our goal is to create greater service value than pirates, and this has been successful enough for us that piracy is basically a non-issue for our company. For example, prior to entering the Russian market, we were told that Russia was a waste of time because everyone would pirate our products. Russia is now about to become our largest market in Europe.[/quote]
What about us using the free version, fuck us right? The assholes who "stole" from you get a free ticket but people demoing it to see if its any good, like me, are told to fuck right off?
[QUOTE=The Baconator;48128341]wait mbam is yearly subs now? Mine is lifetime.[/QUOTE]
You can still buy a lifetime key.
[QUOTE=SebiWarrior;48128552]Some people have no choice but to pirate stuff. HBO doesn't let people outside the US watch GoT or something, that's why it's the most pirated show.
What about teenagers with no income who want a lot of videogames but can't keep asking their parents for money? What if they need a good VST to make good music but lack of money stops them early and they don't get a chance to develop their potential talent?[/QUOTE]
What if I could be a pro driver. I suppose in your eyes that justifies stealing a car then?
[QUOTE=Baron von Hax;48128856]What if I could be a pro driver. I suppose in your eyes that justifies stealing a car then?[/QUOTE]
Piracy is only a copy of a digital good unlike where in real life you literally have to physically steal the object which changes hands from the original owner to you, while with piracy the only thing they lose is a potential customer and not physical goods.
Basically, I don't see piracy as bad as real life physical theft and you can't ever really use it as a comparison since piracy is a uniquely digital crime but it IS still scummy especially if you're one of those "If this was a communist society everything would be free >:( *torrents Adobe Creative Suite and an entire Steam Library of games*" kind of people.
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