For context, I want to run a small personal gig (offering stuff on Patreon). Nothing too fancy.
In order to do that, I would need to use the Adobe suite, Windows, some audio and video effects, all requiring a commercial license.
In theory, I start to make money. How would Microsoft and Adobe know that I don’t pay for their software?
If I use some audio effects, how would their owners even be able to tell / find my work? We’re talking about basic sound effect, like rain, door knocks etc.
But there’s some things you shouldn’t pirate. I was a freelance developer for a company. They hired another set of freelancers who used stock photos and music, but didn’t have the proper licenses. Had legal papers sent their way.
I learned about it because the company started demanding I provide all the proper licensing of my code and the libs I used. I have no idea what the details are or what happened. But they were pretty freaked out.
This is most important comment, understanding threat vector is most important.
When evaluating if piracy is a problem, understand first who is likely to take action against you.
Using adobe suite and providing finished work to client that will use it. Very few threat vector since your client will never publish the psd(or whatever) file to the world and so adobe will never know.
Now if we change some assumptions and the work you do, your client publishes publicly, or sells to a third party that you do not know or can control. Now you are in uncertain territory. If its published publicly there is a small chance adobe may check meta data to verify licence. Or if its sold to third party, maybe third party uses it in a way that ends up revealing same meta data to adobe. Then adobe may give a shit. Chance probably still small but non-zero.
So understand your use case and who will have access to raw files and metadata. As long as that stays within areas you have control or have reasonable certainty. Adobe has no way to figure it out.
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Most of those use cases are untraceable.
But there’s some things you shouldn’t pirate. I was a freelance developer for a company. They hired another set of freelancers who used stock photos and music, but didn’t have the proper licenses. Had legal papers sent their way.
I learned about it because the company started demanding I provide all the proper licensing of my code and the libs I used. I have no idea what the details are or what happened. But they were pretty freaked out.
This is most important comment, understanding threat vector is most important.
When evaluating if piracy is a problem, understand first who is likely to take action against you.
Using adobe suite and providing finished work to client that will use it. Very few threat vector since your client will never publish the psd(or whatever) file to the world and so adobe will never know.
Now if we change some assumptions and the work you do, your client publishes publicly, or sells to a third party that you do not know or can control. Now you are in uncertain territory. If its published publicly there is a small chance adobe may check meta data to verify licence. Or if its sold to third party, maybe third party uses it in a way that ends up revealing same meta data to adobe. Then adobe may give a shit. Chance probably still small but non-zero.
So understand your use case and who will have access to raw files and metadata. As long as that stays within areas you have control or have reasonable certainty. Adobe has no way to figure it out.