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From: bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Feedback on Computer Crime - Apology
Message-ID: <9008132305.AA03706@world.std.com>
Date: 13 Aug 90 23:05:38 GMT
References: <1990Aug13.211525.9852@s1.msi.umn.edu>
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From: uc!cs.umn.edu!msi-s0.msi.umn.edu!meuer@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (meuer)
>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.

Yes, I covered this (and you deleted it.)

It also costs big bucks to produce and market a music album, yet
assuming the media costs about the same (a few dollars at most) it's
interesting how much money they seem to make on only a few multiples
of the media cost (well under $20 for your typical CD, cassette, LP,
etc.) Sure, their volume is much higher. Does that mean that $500 for
a couple of floppies and a manual is a fair mark-up?

Anyhow, that's somewhat irrelevant and doesn't need to be answered.

My only point is that with such a huge disparity between media and
copying costs and the actual price you're kind of asking for
unauthorized copying, whatever the reasoning behind the disparity.

We don't disagree, we're talking about two different things. You're
trying to say that the cost is justified. I'm trying to say that
justified or not they've set themselves up for problems and are now
trying to bridge that gap with govt subsidies.

>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?

I carefully avoided putting any definition on "after-sales services".

It might take many other forms besides mere "bug fixes". What about
discounts on education or other "self-help" books and materials to
bona-fide owners, help hotlines, newsletters, inexpensive upgrades to
new enhanced releases, discounts on other products from the same
manufacturer, I dunno, limited only by some marketeer's imagination.

        -Barry Shein

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