Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!uc!cs.umn.edu!msi-s0.msi.umn.edu!meuer From: meuer@s1.msi.umn.edu (meuer) Newsgroups: comp.society.futures Subject: Re: Feedback on Computer Crime - Apology Message-ID: <1990Aug13.211525.9852@s1.msi.umn.edu> Date: 13 Aug 90 21:15:25 GMT References: <90224.202102POPOVICH@ucf1vm.cc.ucf.edu> <9008131552.AA27315@world.std.com> Organization: Minnesota Supercomputer Institute Lines: 64 bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein) writes: > ...[stuff deleted]... >I will claim that the real problem with so-called software piracy etc >is that the software industry has, to date, built its business on a >very bad foundation. They share strongly in the problem. >The result of this is that the current standard business practice is >to expect to be able to sell a few $1 floppies and perhaps a $15 >manual for hundreds (sometimes thousands) of dollars. And all >materials are perfectly duplicatable for a few dollars by virtually >anyone receiving these materials. I understand the point you are making, but I think it overlooks a critical issue: For those floppies to have something on them that a person would like to copy, someone has to spend thousands of dollars worth of time and effort writing programs. So yes, the physical medium only costs a few dollars, but that is not what you are paying for. If programmers do not charge more than the cost of the physical media for their programs how will they even recoup their costs, much less make a profit? > ...[more stuff deleted]... >So, the speculative QUESTION I am raising here is: > Can the software industry reorganize itself such that > this problem obviates itself? It doesn't have to be a > perfect solution, if less than 1% of the copies in use > were illegal then I don't think anyone would be concerned. >There are two obvious ways: Raise the COST of copying or lower the >(marginal) VALUE of copying. >You can raise the cost by various copy-protection schemes tho these >have proved unpopular enough with consumers that it actually hurts >sales. Just an example. >You can lower the value of copying by either lowering the price of the >software (or even providing cheap licenses to people willing to copy >the software/manual themselves), or by providing after-sales services >only to bona-fide users. Just examples, again. The only thing that can't be copied easily is after-sales services. The problem is, if that becomes the major source of income for software vendors, then it would be against their interest to write code that works so well it doesn't need much support. Will this create lower-quality software? > ...[still more stuff deleted]... > -Barry Shein >Software Tool & Die | {xylogics,uunet}!world!bzs | bzs@world.std.com >Purveyors to the Trade | Voice: 617-739-0202 | Login: 617-739-WRLD -mark -- Mark Meuer | 1200 Washington Ave. So. Geometry Supercomputer Project | Minneapolis, MN 55415 meuer@geom.umn.edu | (612) 624-1867