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From: alfter@uns-helios.nevada.edu (SCOTT ALFTER)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: Rastan GS
Message-ID: <2102@unsvax.NEVADA.EDU>
Date: 8 Oct 90 04:39:10 GMT
References: <2114@nyx.UUCP> <13917@smoke.BRL.MIL> <2151@nyx.UUCP> <13958@smoke.BRL.MIL> <1990Oct7.050620.19014@isis.cs.du.edu> <9096@ucrmath.ucr.edu>
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Reply-To: alfter@uns-helios.uucp (SCOTT ALFTER)
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In article <9096@ucrmath.ucr.edu> rhyde@ucrmath.ucr.edu (randy hyde) writes:
>BTW, "cracking" a game is definitely illegal based on current copyright laws.
>While I agree that protecting a piece of software is only going to hurt the
>honest person, software companies are well within their rights to do so.
>I don't even consider copy protection immoral.  Cracking and pirating are
>[stuff deleted]

Ever hear of the "fair use doctrine?"  You can make copies for your own use.
In fact, the recommended procedure is to copy a new program when you buy it,
put the original disk(s) in a safe place, and use the copy.  The fair-use
doctrine would also cover the installation of a program on a hard disk or RAM
disk for faster loading.  This is the major argument against copy protection;
it's the same argument the MeSsy-DOS folks used to rid their software industry
of copy protection.

If a software company won't put enough faith in its customers to not use copy
protection, you should simply refuse to do business with them; track down a 
program that will do the same, but isn't copy-protected.  Face the facts:  copy
protection is a losing proposition.

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Scott Alfter                             _/_
                                        / v \ Apple II:
Internet: alfter@uns-helios.nevada.edu (    ( the power to be your best!
   GEnie: S.ALFTER                      \_^_/