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From: wlj1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Wayne L Jebian)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Demos and Software Piracy
Message-ID: <1990Jul26.212345.27655@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>
Date: 26 Jul 90 21:23:45 GMT
References: <25337@snow-white.udel.EDU> <9542@bula.se>
Sender: news@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (The Daily News)
Reply-To: wlj1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Wayne L Jebian)
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Organization: Columbia University
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In article <9542@bula.se> Bjorn Knutsson <bjornk@bula.se> writes:
>In article <25337@snow-white.udel.EDU> BARRETT@owl.ecil.iastate.edu (Marc Barrett) writes:
>[Stuff about a European demo deleted]
>>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.
>
>You say that piracy is legal in "most parts of Europe". Ok, fine, name
>those parts.  I can't think of any part, except perhaps parts of
>Eastern Europe (I really don't know), where piracy is legal.

Actually "raids on pirates" occur more often in britain and europe than in
the US. I assume that the way piracy is done on the Amiga is similar to the 
way its done on ye olde C-64 and I can only make a few assumptions but i see no
reason why its different.

>However, while piracy is illegal, there's still a lot of piracy going
>on. But on the other hand, I belive the possession of drugs is an
>offence in the USA. Does that keep CRIMINALS from possessing and
>selling drugs in the USA? I belive not.
>
>Another interesting point is: Where do many pirating Europeans go to
>get their pirated copies of games? Yes, you're right: Bulletin Board
>Systems in the USA. Swedish newspapers (quite recently) ran a story
>about teenagers using stolen VISA card numbers for calling BBS's in
>the United States. Now, these teenagers were doing this to be able to
>download pirated programs for free. 

I doubt they used visas but instead just hacked out AT&T codes but thats not
relevent. What is important is <if the amiga pirates are the same as c64
pirates> it kinda works the opposite way. Groups usually import games to the
US from europe after NSTC fixing it <flickers and all> because games usually 
are released in europe first. of course it can be different on the Amiga but
i doubt it.

<analogy to gun control deleted>

-Mark Dolengo