So, isn't it acceptable on this forum to call someone's bluff on costly programs?
No. It is in fact a clear violation of the terms of service. Namely the "don't be a dick" clause. But, some people consider it serious.
Yes. Usually by people who have never been a victim of a proper crime. Haveing your stuff stolen at gunpoint is several orders of magnitude more traumatizing than someone getting your software for free of a suspect website. You might want to just take my word for it. In Europe it can mean up to 4 years jail if you do so!
In which European country has anyone ever gotten any jail time (much less 4 years) for using pirated software? The crime of grand theft auto is a criminal one which results in jailtime.
It's actually a felony, and in many US states, subject to "3 strike" laws. So it is not by any reasonable margin close to being "as serious" as piracy. I know of companies which were shut down due to piracy (of Autodesk software).
No they weren't. They went bankrupt because they couldn't afford to pay the fine / lawyers. In most non-totalitarian countries, companies cannot be shut-down. I don't know anyone that purchases their software.
Just because you and your buddies are thieves doesn't mean everyone else is. Maybe you just need more honest friends? Correction: 3dsMax 2008 is $5,390.00 AUD.
Yes but that's in Australian Wood Dollars, not in real money. Interrogating them over the legality of their software achieves nothing.
For once. We agree. Show me someone who claims to have never broken any laws and I'll show you a liar.
I've hurt someones feelings once... :o> I doubt they'll be that surprised if they do belong to a company which uses pirate software, but there are also many companies which don't.
Name one. Even Microsoft (the champions of anti-piracy, haters of free software, and heavy advocates for DRM and "Trusted Computing") uses pirated software (Google for Microsoft Radium Codec or something to that effect). Which the possible exception of companies who use free software exclusively, there are no companies who do not use pirated software.