Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!know!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!unmvax!petunia!news From: jdudeck@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (John R. Dudeck) Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms Subject: Re: Copy protection for MS Windows applications Message-ID: <27039450.3ba0@petunia.CalPoly.EDU> Date: 28 Sep 90 18:20:00 GMT References: <24605@sequoia.execu.com> <60750@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu> Organization: Cal Poly State Univ,CSC Dept,San Luis Obispo,CA 93407 Lines: 31 In an article ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib) wrote: >>>I hate copy protection but we must still use it in select >>>markets. The vendor that supplies our MS DOS copy protection > >>What markets would they be? Except for games, I can't understand why > >Foriegn markets. Especially >Taiwan and Hong Kong. Boot- >leg copies abound and are >beyond US copyright law. In Europe most of the popular software comes out in language-specific or national versions. This software costs about 4 times the US list price of the same package, since they are paying royalties, plus trying to recoup thier development and marketing costs. That makes MS Word cost something like $2000 in France. No wonder hacked and pirated versions abound. US vendors are tempted by the bloated prices in Europe, and since copy protection is tolerated by the users there, they figure that copy protection must be used. I suppose in some cases a US developer is creating a European version "to specs" for a European vendor, who is insisting on copy protection in the product. -- John Dudeck "Nothing is foolproof, because jdudeck@Polyslo.CalPoly.Edu fools are so ingenious." ESL: 62013975 Tel: 805-545-9549 -- quote from PC Mag.