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From: jprice@uclapp.physics.ucla.edu (John Price)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Questions on shareware fees.
Message-ID: <00933DCD.54EEE9C0@uclapp.physics.ucla.edu>
Date: 18 Mar 90 16:42:47 GMT
References: <3262@umn-d-ub.D.UMN.EDU> <52@ithink.stanford.edu> <1990Mar16.025655.23368@agate.berkeley.edu>,<7236@goofy.Apple.COM>
Sender: news@SEAS.UCLA.EDU
Reply-To: jprice@uclapp.physics.ucla.edu (John Price)
Organization: UCLA Particle Physics Research Group
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In article <7236@goofy.Apple.COM>, rmh@apple.com (Rick Holzgrafe) writes:
>Please, people, the legal fine print isn't (or shouldn't be) at issue. 

	Perhaps it shouldn't be, but that was the way the original question 
was phrased.

>Here's the important distinction: someone has worked hard to produce a 
>worthy product, owns the result, and offers it *for sale*, not "for free 
>but we accept tips". To use the product against that person's wishes or 
>without his or her knowledge is theft.

	Morally, yes.  Ethically, yes.  Legally, (probably) no.

	Here's an opinion I haven't seen...

	I don't support shareware fees because I have to.  I don't do it 
because God (or the Woz...:) will strike me down from the heavens if I 
don't.  I don't do it for that good feeling I get because I'm "supporting 
the system".  I do it for a very simple reason: registration.  This is a 
very important reason, because *if* you are a registered user of a 
shareware program, the author will notify you of bug fixes, corrections, 
and improvements.  Suppose there's a bug in a shareware program that causes 
it to format your hard disk.  If you're registered, the author will then 
send you a copy of the fix.  I like that.  It helps me sleep at night.  
Furthermore, it's worth the $5 or $10 or $15 or whatever the guy wants.

	As far as using the software without paying for it, I may not be 
breaking any laws, but then I have to supply the bug fixes myself, either 
by looking all over the different archives for it, or writing the fix 
myself.  I'd rather have the author do it.  Again, this service is worth 
the shareware fee.

	Just my 2 cents.

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