Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!orca.wv.tek.com!pogo!bluneski
From: bluneski@pogo.WV.TEK.COM (Bob Luneski)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Pirates and swapware
Message-ID: <9372@pogo.WV.TEK.COM>
Date: 3 Jul 90 19:20:55 GMT
References: <1990Jun24.075559.13459@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> <90U702Unb2ZK01@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com> <18721@well.sf.ca.us> <25535@usc.edu> <18831@well.sf.ca.us>
Reply-To: bluneski@pogo.WV.TEK.COM (Bob Luneski)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Wilsonville,  OR.
Lines: 55

In article <18831@well.sf.ca.us> farren@well.sf.ca.us (Mike Farren) writes:

>were, they wouldn't show a 400,000 copy loss.  I'd guess that MicroPro
>would have been lucky to gain 20,000 more sales. 

Even with your "expert" underestimate this is a SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF REVENUE!
And yes it really does take food out of the mouths of babys.

>...and thousands of people lurking right outside the doors, just waiting
>to rip you off.  Oh, they're out there, all right - but they aren't there
>to steal your software as an alternative to paying for it, they're there
>to get free software which they would never, ever, ever pay for if they
>couldn't get it free.

It's not free, it's STOLEN.

>...I've known five people now with pirated copies of WP ...
>...I have seen cracked
>copies of games with new and "unbreakable" copy protection schemes available
>on BBS systems within two or three DAYS of the product's release.  I have
>seen kids with over a THOUSAND pirated games, and know that, if they had
>had to pay for their software, they would have had NONE.  

You appear to have an intimate knowedge of pirating activities.  Have you
reported any of these CRIMES to the authorities?

>Pirates are pirates - there's damn few of them who are in the least bit 
>interested in going "legit".  

Wrong.  Pirates who KNOWINGLY steal software are THEIVES.  I think it's time 
to stop using euphemistic terminology and start calling them what they really
are: CRIMINALS and THEIVES.

>As long as they can copy freely, they will copy freely,
>and all the copy protection schemes in the world aren't going to stop them;
>nor are they going to convert those "lost" sales into real sales.  That's
>why I can't see calling them "lost" - you haven't lost what you never had.

You're right, you would never get the hardcore criminals sales. BUT, it is
the hardcore criminal who STEALS the software and makes it easily available
to others that may otherwise pay for the software.  It is these people that
genuinely do represent lost sales.

I am not talking about the person who buys software but violates the license 
agreement by using it on both his/her machines at home, or the kid who doesn't
know any better.  I am talking about the responsible adults who KNOWINGLY 
steal software.  It's time to stop using the euphemism of Pirate.
People who KNOWINGLY steal software are THEIVES.

____________________________________________________________________________
  Bob Luneski                                                             
  bluneski@pogo.WV.TEK.COM                
                                                                         
  The opinions expressed herein are my own and in no way reflect the     
  opinions of Tektronix, Inc.