Forgive my agressive snips... Greg Andrzejewski wrote:
The decision of how to distribute a piece of software is the decision of the author.
Umm, not really. Many, many people are currently sharing ripped DVDs and CDs without the various authors being consulted in any way. That decision is no longer in the hands of the author. All the authors, or their representatives, can do anymore is choose to hunt down and sue the violators.
Even then, it seems that most of those lawsuits are settled out of court, and out-of-court settlements favor the side with the deepest pockets, not the side with the law on their side. It would be interesting if more of these cases went before juries - it might be difficult for the plaintiffs to show that they've been injured.
Is piracy "wrong" in some grand sense? Maybe - history swings both ways on that topic. Is the uncontrolled sharing of software a violation of various contemporary civil codes? Perhaps - the violation is something that courts decide. If Joe Software-Developer thinks piracy has been committed, Joe goes to court and tries to prove it.
Pirating currently sold software only hurts the platform.
Maybe in some Platonic universe. Here on Earth, the Wintel PC is doing fine in spite of huge piracy in Asia. Mod chips haven't eroded the PS2 and Xbox sales. Piracy in and of itself is not the problem; more likely it's the number of legal purchases. Once too few sales are made, developers in business will follow the money on to other platforms.
This bolsters your point about the issue largely being moot in the Apple ][ community because there's such a small level of legit sales in the first place. The developers that remain are often motivated by things beyond monetary gain - if you pirate from them, you're hurting their pride more than their pocketbook. I'm not sure if hurt feelings are grounds for a successful copyright infringement case.
If we don't support those who write the programs, eventually this amazing line of computers will fade into oblivion.
I agree whole heartedly. The Apple ][ is to computers what the motet is to music. Arguably possessing a beauty and esthetic that the modern world now lacks, but undeniably appealling to a small and dwindling audience.
Kelly