Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!aplcen!haven!udel!mmdf
From: BARRETT@owl.ecil.iastate.edu (Marc Barrett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Demos and Software Piracy
Message-ID: <25337@snow-white.udel.EDU>
Date: 23 Jul 90 01:45:20 GMT
Sender: mmdf@udel.EDU
Lines: 40


   There has been some discussion here lately about the ethics of keeping
and distributing demos written by European cracking/copying groups.  I
would like to add my $0.02 (US) worth by saying that I almost have to
agree with both sides on this issue.

   I downloaded the 'Cryptoburners MegaDemo II' from Xanth, and was very
impressed by it.  The filled-vector animation is too much to believe.
While Apple and IBM are scrambling to make full-motion animation possible
on their systems (by using 25Mhz '030s, megabytes of RAM, and optical
disks), this demo demonstrates that full-motion animation is possible
on a lowly 7Mhz 1M Amiga 500.

   Although I was impressed by the animation of this demo, I was very
put off by the blatant remarks about software cracking/copying 'parties'
referred to in this demo.  The writers in this demo go as far as to
complain about the Norwegian police 'spoiling' one of their 'parties'.
I can't say I'm very sympathetic with the people who arranged and
attended this party.

   These European groups are not 100% responsible for their actions,
though, as they are a product of the European system.  Software piracy
is legal in most parts of Europe, and the widespread software piracy
there is the ultimate fault of the European governments.  If they
want to curb piracy, they ought to pass laws to make it illegal.  Until
they do, they can't blame these groups for taking advantage of the
legality of software theft.

   Software theft is somewhat analogous to gun control.  In many parts
of the world (such as Japan), guns are illegal to own, and therefore
the distribution of guns isn't all that much of a problem in these
countries.  In the U.S., most guns are legal, and the misuse and abuse
of guns is a real problem (to say the least).  But you can't blame
people who own guns in the U.S., because they are doing what is
perfectly legal.  For the same reason, you can't blame these European
groups too much, because they are doing what their governments (by
inaction) has said is perfectly right and fine.


                               -MB-