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From: thom@dewey.soe.berkeley.edu (Thom Gillespie)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Software piracy
Message-ID: <36990@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 12 Jun 90 21:02:47 GMT
References: <3914@moondance.cs.uq.oz.au> <56447.2673B586@cmhgate.FIDONET.ORG> <9243@paperboy.OSF.ORG> <41882@apple.Apple.COM>
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Reply-To: thom@dewey.soe.berkeley.edu.UUCP (Thom Gillespie)
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I'm not replying to any particular reply to Chuck.Arelei's original posting but
I have some thoughts:

	1) It seems like software piracy is here to stay, part of the culture

	2) Can anyone document a particular company which has gone out of business
	because of software piracy as opposed to bad documentation, service, product
	etc? I imagine that microsoft, lotus, and claris are at the top of the
	pirated companies -- their products are good

	3) In the recent Whole Earth Quarterly David Bryne is asked about music
	piracy, what does he think of it? He says, "He views piracy as advertising"
	They steal his music -- and the distributor looses -- and they pay to come to
	his concerts because they listen to his advertising all day long ... good
	advertising for a good product.

	4) In the Media lab Stuart Brand suggests that in the future we won't buy
	Microsoft Word so much as subscribe to it -- good service coming on a regular
	basis with a good update policy. Wasn't this what made Red Ryder a success?

	The most interesting suggestion in the entire discussion was by A J
	Cunningham, "legalize piracy." Now there is any idea worth discussing instead
	of the old bromides which don't fit digital media. Can you do it? How? What
	type of changes will have to happen in our heads for this to work?

	--Thom Gillespie