Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!archimedes.math.uwm.edu!jgreco From: jgreco@archimedes.math.uwm.edu (Joe Greco) Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm Subject: Re: Piracy and Software Message-ID: <5227@uwm.edu> Date: 22 Jul 90 00:54:10 GMT References: <1990Jul16.221811.7115@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> <1990Jul16.222043.7094@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> <5105@uwm.edu> <24987.26a58f60@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> Sender: news@uwm.edu Distribution: na Organization: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee - Department of Mathematics Lines: 47 In comp.sys.cbm article <24987.26a58f60@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>, petrino@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu wrote: :IMHO, the question was how do we feel about piracy as opposed to the :legality of the act. Although for some, these two things may be :inseperable, illegal = bad... therefore no do, I don't see it that :way. We all make "moral" decisions as to what laws/codes we live by. :As far as I am concerned, piracy is acceptable. I have pirated :software, I have used pirated software, and at least 90% of the people :I know(w/ pc's) own/use pirated software. I have no problem with that, :or with anyone who does (or doesn't) partake. My decision. The question, if I recall, was if we felt it was responsible for the "decline" of the 64. Your argument here suggests that it indeed is not, for if most PC owners use pirated software, you must recognize that the PC is one of the most popular machines around. I'd suggest that pirating hasn't hurt IBM popularity at all.... as a matter of fact, might enhance it. :-) I would, however, not consider piracy to be acceptable. It is merely a fact of life. I am a software author, so I do have some interest in legality and morality. Perhaps more relevant to the original question, I believe piracy can do a very good job of discouraging software authors from writing software for a machine. Some of my experiences with LEGITIMATE owners of my products were bad enough to make my toes curl up. I finally got exasperated with the pirates and put a backdoor into my BBS, distributed it, and waited until it was sufficiently pirated. Then I went around about 2am one morning and formatted lots of disk drives. I admit, it was petty. But also satisfying. Most software authors don't have such recourse. I wasn't asking a lot of money for the BBS. $5 was all. To have 10 systems running the software, and three legitimate systems is inexcusable. $5 isn't going to break anybody's back. From what I have seen, this is typical of most software users. : I also can't drive 55 :) Neither can I. My car seems to like the 56-57 range, unless there's someone tailgating me, in which case it seems to go even faster. heheh ... Joe (a disgruntled ex-c64 programmer) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joe Greco - University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee - Department of Mathematics jgreco@archimedes.math.uwm.edu USnail: Joe Greco Voice: 414/321-6184 9905 W. Montana Ave. Data: 414/321-9287 (Happy Hacker's BBS) West Allis, WI 53227-3329 #include Disclaimer: I don't speak for the Math Department, the University, or myself.