Re: Software license (was: Classic ripoffs in computing)

[guenter@student.uni-kl.de (Marvin)]

Tim Shoppa (shoppa@alph02.triumf.ca) wrote:

: I don't mind so much those pirates who illegally copy software and
: know that it's wrong to do it, but do it anyway.  Yes, it's bad,
: but it's their decision to break the law, and they know they're
: breaking it.  What really ticks me off are those that you single out -
: people who believe they have some moral right to run software they
: aren't entitled to, and who come up with all sorts of hokey arguments
: to show they have such a right.  This strikes me as being very
: immature.  (Partly because I was - a long time ago and in a
: country far, far away - a major software pirate at one time,
: and I knew damn well what I was doing was illegal.)

Yes, I agree that people should not try to justify their bad deeds. Piracy
IS bad. It hurts the authors and vendors of programs and can kill whole
computer systems. I think everyone who chooses to grab a pirated copy
should know that he is doing something bad. If he has no conscience, then
he may perhaps understand the argument that software manufactures may
abandon his own computer if they don't sell enough copies. Personally,
I am trying to get legal copies of all my favorite titles, especially new
ones from active authors. Same for shareware. I prefer to spend my cash
for disks and not for soon-to-be-obsolete hardware. This is the current
policy of the PC-compatibles. Hardware can't be pirated, so they force
their customers to buy a new computer every two years. If you don't
want to play the obsolescense game, well, BUY your software!
I really would like to see an informative post about piracy in the
login message of Asimov. Everyone who grabs a disk image there, should
know what he is is doing and where the vendors of originals are. I
think a little goodwill from both sides is far more worth than flames.

                                                - Marvin -

                            "Support those who support the Apple II"