# If a product has a wanted feature that can't be pirated, it'll succeed. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 12, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-product-has-a-wanted-feature-that-cant-be-pirated-itll-succeed/574416 "2011-03-12T15:43:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-product-has-a-wanted-feature-that-cant-be-pirated-itll-succeed/574416/21 "2011-03-13T21:54:48Z")
I’m not quite sure what the OP is looking for in examples that prove or disprove the point. There are numerous early personal computers with unique features that failed under the onslaught of DOS-based systems. Beta videocassettes not only outperformed VHS, they were smaller. But Phillips outmarketed Sony and VHS became the standard. WordPerfect, Bank Street Writer, et al, had loyal users and features that Microsoft Word didn’t, but Microsoft simply buried the competition. ---
**Author:** ![Reno\_Nevada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Reno\_Nevada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reno_Nevada)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-product-has-a-wanted-feature-that-cant-be-pirated-itll-succeed/574416/22 "2011-03-15T15:37:28Z")
A LOT of products fail, for a LOT of different reasons. Very few of those reasons look like “piracy.” Just off the top of my head, I can’t think of any product that failed SOLELY because of piracy. **Gozu** , do you have any examples in mind? One failing product that was not vulnerable to piracy would be the Laser Disc. This offered a number of features that, at the time, were definitely “wanted”, and it could not be pirated. Still, a product failure. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gozu/32/6615_2.png) [@Gozu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-product-has-a-wanted-feature-that-cant-be-pirated-itll-succeed/574416/23 "2011-03-15T19:58:49Z")
> [@Digital\_Stimulus](#): > > Why did you leave out the “_So, let me simplify:_” when quoting me? > > That simplification is exactly my point: we do not have to agree on anything having to do with “pirate-able parts”, as I think you’ve successfully defined “piracy” out of the equation. I have only taken it out from part of the equation. The un-pirateable part does not have to be the main part of the product. The distinction I draw between said part and a product that cannot be pirated is that the un-pireatable part cannot be a product by itself. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gozu/32/6615_2.png) [@Gozu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-product-has-a-wanted-feature-that-cant-be-pirated-itll-succeed/574416/24 "2011-03-15T20:02:07Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > I’m not quite sure what the OP is looking for in examples that prove or disprove the point. There are numerous early personal computers with unique features that failed under the onslaught of DOS-based systems. > > Beta videocassettes not only outperformed VHS, they were smaller. But Phillips outmarketed Sony and VHS became the standard. > > WordPerfect, Bank Street Writer, et al, had loyal users and features that Microsoft Word didn’t, but Microsoft simply buried the competition. All these failed because of competition, not piracy. Miller made this point earlier and I answered it. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-product-has-a-wanted-feature-that-cant-be-pirated-itll-succeed/574416/25 "2011-03-15T20:23:37Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Beta videocassettes not only outperformed VHS, they were smaller. But Phillips outmarketed Sony and VHS became the standard. VHS was created by JVC. Philips’s format was Video 2000. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-product-has-a-wanted-feature-that-cant-be-pirated-itll-succeed/574416/26 "2011-03-15T23:48:13Z")
Beta was not better that VHS in one very important feature. Length of recording time. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gozu/32/6615_2.png) [@Gozu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-product-has-a-wanted-feature-that-cant-be-pirated-itll-succeed/574416/27 "2011-03-16T17:55:40Z")
> [@Reno\_Nevada](#): > > A LOT of products fail, for a LOT of different reasons. Very few of those reasons look like “piracy.” Just off the top of my head, I can’t think of any product that failed SOLELY because of piracy. **Gozu** , do you have any examples in mind? Well, because of piracy, [PC games disappeared in the 80s](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up863eQKGUI) and now the only way to play videogames is on consoles 🙂 Seriously though, that’s a good question. I’ve been trying to think of one but I can’t either. Maybe someone else will. > [@Reno\_Nevada](#): > > One failing product that was not vulnerable to piracy would be the Laser Disc. This offered a number of features that, at the time, were definitely “wanted”, and it could not be pirated. Still, a product failure. Are you saying that piracy may have indirectly Killed Laser Disc it by making VHS more appealing to customers? ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-product-has-a-wanted-feature-that-cant-be-pirated-itll-succeed/574416/28 "2011-03-21T06:04:08Z")
Laserdisc was not a product failure; it had a niche market, and it succeeded there. ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-product-has-a-wanted-feature-that-cant-be-pirated-itll-succeed/574416/29 "2011-03-21T06:22:15Z")
> [@Gozu](#): > > There is much to debate about piracy but I’m just curious about this assertion which I’ve made as general as possible to encompass all kinds of piracy: > True or false? If a product has a wanted feature that can’t be pirated, it’ll succeed. > > Any counter-examples? Well, you’ve already defined away any product that did fail as not “Wanted”, therefore I’ll assume you’re looking for a product that succeeded despite being piratable, in which case _Doom II_ should suffice. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-product-has-a-wanted-feature-that-cant-be-pirated-itll-succeed/574416/30 "2011-03-21T15:15:24Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Beta videocassettes not only outperformed VHS, they were smaller. But Phillips outmarketed Sony and VHS became the standard. Phillips invented the audio cassette (“Compact Cassette”), not VHS video cassette. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-product-has-a-wanted-feature-that-cant-be-pirated-itll-succeed/574416.md?page=1)