Re: Just a thought ...

[wsmith@NOSPAM.ctron.com (Will Smith)]

On Mon, 22 Jun 1998 08:49:02 -0500, Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>
wrote:

|>     You appear to be saying that you are prepared to ignore the
|>standard restrictions on copying some old, out of print game. Fine. If
|>the copyright owner objected, the game would not be available for
|>downloading on any major Apple II archive.

can i offer another point of view?  what if the copyright author isn't
AWARE these sites even EXIST?  what THEN?  should the copyright holder
spend most of his/her free time (if there IS any) searching for
violators within the known universe?

i would rather that the "proper order" be more of what Willie and
company are doing for the Treasure Chest: secure permission FIRST,
THEN post the program for everyone to download.  this way, everyone is
happy.  we'd be able to download with a clean conscience, not having
to worry if the Feds could confiscate our systems because we got a
copy of a program that shouldn't have been made available in the FIRST
place, and we wouldn't have the ethical quandry that now exists for
those poor souls that downloaded ProTERM before it was removed from
Asimov: "hmmm...  i guess that means i shouldn't have this copy.
should i delete it, buy it from an authorized dealer, or keep what i
have and keep quiet?"....  PREFERABLY, the answer would be the first
two (delete current, then buy it)....

|>     Indeed, there is every reason for a copyright owner which is
|>currently producing PC games to _want_ the A2 oldie to be downloaded and
|>played. It's an advertising bonanza for the copyright owner. Anyone who
|>plays SpaceQuest/gs and likes it is much more likely to look for new
|>Sierra games to play on his/her PC. 

if they thought that way, then they wouldn't have any problem giving
permission, huh?

|>     If anything, the copyright owners should be _paying_ sites like
|>Asimov to foist their advertising upon downloaders.

i don't know about THAT...  it would depend on how successful the idea
WENT.  if they were to initiate such a plan, then poll their customers
after a year or so, then they would see if it was worth the effort...

|>     On balance, everyone involved wins; and, remember, the copyright
|>owner is always free to insist that a product be delisted from an Apple
|>II archive site. This should answer any questions about rightness or
|>wrongness of downloading the oldie.

like i said before: the "default" should be NO POSTING until
permission is granted otherwise.  i understand that it is sometimes
impossible to GET permission, but that's life.

...Will
---
William Smith
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