Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!snorkelwacker!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!ntvaxb!ac08 From: ac08@vaxb.acs.unt.edu (ac08@vaxb.acs.unt.edu (C. Irby)) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Re: Software piracy Message-ID: <26913.26750102@vaxb.acs.unt.edu> Date: 12 Jun 90 14:49:38 GMT References: <56447.2673B586@cmhgate.FIDONET.ORG> <1990Jun12.160915.5685@portia.Stanford.EDU> Lines: 38 In article <1990Jun12.160915.5685@portia.Stanford.EDU>, jinx@portia.Stanford.EDU (Dane Spearing) writes: > In article <56447.2673B586@cmhgate.FIDONET.ORG> Chuck.Arelei@f31.n343.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Chuck Arelei) writes: >>"The best way to prevent illegal software piracy is to lower the >>softwares' prices, you hear me out there? Mr. Adobe & Mr. Letraset?" >> >>I welcome any remarks and comments of my statement, put it in my mail >>box, or let's talk it out loud in the public. >> > > I agree completely! However, it's already been done! I think everyone > will agree that the most prolific software piracy occurs on college > campuses. To combat this, Microsoft, Claris, and other companies have > offered academic pricing on their most popular software. For example, > here at Stanford, you can purchase Microsoft Word 4.0 (new, with all > documentation) for $75. Compare this with the cheapest mail-order > houses at around $250. The only difference in the product is that it > comes in a box that says "Academic Package" on it. No difference in > documentation or the program itself. I'd call these pretty low prices! > > Uhhh... They don't do that to combat piracy. They sell their stuff for that price for the same reason that Apple and IBM sell computers for low $$$- to penetrate the market. See, sooner or later many of those college students will graduate, and when they do, they might get to make the choice of what kind of software and hardware their company buys... so they choose the computer they used in college. And the software they know how to use. Piracy? Free is still cheaper than $75, and an aftermarket manual is $20... C Irby