Re: What about an Apple Gamebase ?

["Sean Fahey" <a2fan@hotmail.com>]

"Matthew Russotto" <russotto@grace.speakeasy.net> wrote in message
0M2dnV1H4J9rKPzcRVn-sg@speakeasy.net">news:0M2dnV1H4J9rKPzcRVn-sg@speakeasy.net...

> >1.) Current copyright laws grant holders amazing lengths of time to
protect
> >their assets, and guarantees avenues of remedy when their rights
> >(entitlements) are violated.
>
> True.
>
> >2.) Copying copyrighted media without the publisher's/author's permission
is
> >theft, unless a license or agreement states it's OK to do so.
>
> False.  Aside from the various exceptions to copyright, copyright
infringement
> is not theft.  Theft is typically a state misdemeanor; copyright
> infringement is a Federal tort making one liable for damages of
> $100,000 per infringement, and in many cases a Federal felony.

Technically, I'll give you the point... but I did specify "Copying"
copyrighted media - not just "violating" which I think you interpreted - the
general case law has swung to contributory conclusions, that illegal copying
deprives the copyright holder or publisher of revenue, loss of control of
intellectual property, thus equating to financial or IP theft. This is the
position the RIAA, MPAA and ASCAP for example have taken. But overall,
you're right - I was sloppy in describing what I meant to say.

> >3.) Most of the software that is downloaded, was at one time,
commercially
> >sold product, with copyrights intact. Also, the anti-copying protections
> >originally placed on said software were circumvented specifically for the
> >purpose of illegally distibuting the "cracked" version of the product.
>
> The first statement is true.  The second statement can only be
> deemed to be true in the case of software with pirate splash
> screens, and which is known to have been copy protected.  In other
> cases, the copying protections may have been originally circumvented
> for other reasons.

Heh, having my old handle on a few splash screens around the net gives me a
perspective on this. We wanted to let the world know we couldn't be stopped
by mere copy-protection, and just let it all hang out. What peeved us the
most was when another group would take our booter out and/or modify it or
put their own in with their new screen, and steal our props. Now that's
serious (and amusing) IRONY. "You jerks in 212 can't do that! That was our
crack; we broke it! It's, it's... it's copyrighted!"