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From: russotto@eng.umd.edu (Matthew T. Russotto)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: On Discussing the Breaking of Copy Protection
Keywords: spam spam spam Copy Protection spam spam Breaking It spam spam
Message-ID: <1990Nov15.200800.14014@eng.umd.edu>
Date: 15 Nov 90 20:08:00 GMT
References: <2653@ttardis.UUCP> <25670@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> <1990Nov15.154539.12727@abcfd20.larc.nasa.gov>
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In article <1990Nov15.154539.12727@abcfd20.larc.nasa.gov> jcburt@ipsun.larc.nasa.gov (John Burton) writes:
>>
>I agree with most of your statements except those marked. I believe the companies
>that use copy protection are attempting to establish that it *is* illegal to
>break copy protection. It *is* illegal to use a copy of a program that has the
>copy protection removed (how this is enforced is another story...) according to
>the "usage agreement" that you're supposed to sign and return to the company.
>The use of an "unauthorized" copy of software (in this context unauthorized =>
>a copy made from software that has had its copy protection removed) is considered
>software piracy and *IS* illegal.

I don't think I've ever signed such a usage agreement.  A registration card,
yes, but never any usage agreement saying 'I agree to all the terms of that
obnoxious license agreement'.  As far as I know, those shrink-wrap licenses
have never been tested in court, and until a few precedents are set up
to the contrary, I am going to treat all commercial software as if I bought it
and am only bound by copyright law.

>As far as the ethics of the situation, my code of ethics apparently differs from
>yours. I consider breaking the copy protection of a software package to be
>an attempt to illegally acquire resources or information. As such, I wouldn't
>do it. 

As far as I am concerned, I have bought the right to use the information, and
thus don't see anything unethical about trying to obtain a more easily used
form of it.

--
Matthew T. Russotto	russotto@eng.umd.edu	russotto@wam.umd.edu
     .sig under construction, like the rest of this campus.