Re: Another Modest Proposal: Pirating vs Archiving

[jeffr@bnr.ca (Jeffrey Robertson)]

In article <4t1eok$ftb@blackice.winternet.com>,
Nathan Mates <nathan@parka.winternet.com> wrote:
>In article <4t0fgk$s5i@bmerhc5e.bnr.ca>,
>Jeffrey Robertson <jeffr@bnr.ca> wrote:
>>In article <4srk6u$b6e@blackice.winternet.com>,
>>Nathan Mates <nathan@parka.winternet.com> wrote:
>>>   Usefulness and rarity is _NOT_ an excuse for the general public to
>>>be able to download pirated stuff. At best, it is a pathetic excuse to
>>>salve up a conscience that knows that what it's doing is wrong, but
>>>they have no self-control to do the right thing.
>
>>Nathan, what's your opinion of the "don't ask; don't tell" argument
>>presented for this kind of pirating?  (Or for gays in the US military,
>>for that matter...)
>
>   Well, I'd like this to remain a factually based argument as much as
>possible.  As I hope I'll show below, the Asimov folks are worse than
>the minimum conditions you tried to lay out, which I think is fairly
>liberal. 

[Demonstration that Asimov fails my proposed criteria snipped.]

>   I outlined a service above (the replacement only) service that
>would do a very darn good job of staying on the side of the law.
>Probably too restrictive for most, but it could function darn well.


I hope Nathan (and everyone else) realizes I was asking that question
in all seriousness.  (Even the bit about the military: it would
show your position to the whole philosophy of "don't ask.."

You think my conditions are liberal?  Maybe a little, insofar as
the changes you propose to demonstrate legitimate ownership.

I guess you believe that if the copyright holder of Bard's Tale
does not wish to distribute the game, no one else should either.
If you didn't buy the game when it was available... too bad!
You'll never own it, until the copyright legally expires.

Myself, I think that's an extreme position.  I covered the
posibility that the holder expressly does not want the program
available.  I think most cases are apathy.  The analogy of
squatters comes to mind.


Anyway, liberal or not, do you support my proposal, Nathan?
Anyone?
-- 
-------------------------------------+----------------+-----------------
Jeffrey Robertson                    |  jeffr@bnr.ca  |      BNR, Ottawa
"I speak for myself, not BNR" - Me   +----------------+       (Meriline)
"Verbing weirds language" - Calvin                      OC-48 FiberWorld