Lets say you pirate CAD software like Autodesk Inventor or Dassault Solidworks.

Which company is more aggressive toward pirates? Which software is more dangerous to pirate?

For example I heard Adobe is pretty lax about piracy and it's usually no big deal if you pirate Photoshop. So I wonder how it is with CAD companies.

I have seen a lot of posts about people receiving letter from Dassault about pirated Solidworks. But not so much about Autodesk. So I wonder if Autodesk software is safer to pirate than Dassault software.

Thanks for any advice or experience.

  • empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 months ago

    Adobe is lax about it because they care about being the industry standard monopoly. When more people use their software and become proficient in it, more companies want to buy it so they have better hiring prospects, and Adobe wins.

    The stories I've heard about most CAD companies, especially Dassault, is that they don't generally care about the pirated software, and if they do, the worst they'll do if you're just a hobbyist is send you a "cut it out dude" cease and desist.

    The problems arise when you start using their software for anything that makes money, like sending models/drawings to other companies/clients or whatever. If youre trying to run a business with pirated software they will absolutely pin your ass to the wall with lawyers and go after every cent you earned using their software PLUS the cost of a full license PLUS whatever damages they feel like pulling out of their ass.

    • Aggravationstation@feddit.uk
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      3 months ago

      I could be wrong but isn't it essentially impossible to pirate modern versions of Adobe Creative Suite products as they're now cloud based, meaning the only versions you can pirate are around 10 years old?

    • Tourer@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      3 months ago

      Maybe you dont completely block the software in firewall so it phones home. Or you send someone a cad file which has metadata inside, they open it in legitimate software version and then it phones home your info. Or you connect pirated version to a network where is also another legitimate version which phones home.

      Yes, you could say "just use simplewall and deny by default" or "run it in VM" or "dont send anyone cad filed created in pirated version". But that's not the point. The point of my question is, IF you make mistake and the software has a chance to phone home, how much danger there is?

      Of course there is always some danger. That's why I am just asking about comparing Autodesk and Dassault and if it's possible to determinate that one is more eager to catch pirates than the other.

      Thanks.

    • empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      3 months ago

      A. Their software phones home aggressively.
      B. Their software embeds unique digital fingerprints in every file created with it. If other legit Autodesk software opens those files, it knows. They can and will use that to track pirated users. The neat part is, they don't care about your priated software until you're verifiably using it to make money, at which point they will open up your asshole with a speculum and go fishing.

      • SandbagTiara2816@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        3 months ago

        On the tracking and phoning home: gross, I wish they didn’t do that. I’ll stick with FreeCAD.

        It makes sense though, that they don’t care about pirated software unless you’re making money off it. It’s probably in their interest of hobbyists can learn how to use the software from pirated copies - that’s just a potential future paid user, if they develop the skills to eventually want to use it professionally.