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From: steven@pro-odyssey.cts.com (Steven Wells)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: software piracy?
Message-ID: <6530@crash.cts.com>
Date: 25 Dec 90 12:16:14 GMT
Sender: root@crash.cts.com
Lines: 25

In-Reply-To: message from hp0p+@andrew.cmu.edu

For a very interesting alternative view to software piracy, there is an
article in issue #1.03 of the Computer Underground Digest (April 8, 1990) that
discusses this.  
 
As for personal views, as a student, I think most software is over-priced. 
Much like the recording industry, computer software companies keep jacking up
prices or keeping them at outrageous ones in order to cover losses from piracy
and to make it 'profitable' for the programmers.  Why do people copy?  I would
love to own every piece of software I've ever used.  If it was more reasonably
priced, I would gladly pay for them.  However, $40-$50 for a game that takes a
week to play and is then erassed because it's been solved is a bit steep. 
 
The idea of corporate and private prices has some allure.  The shareware
concept also does.  (Which is the same concept behind much piracy.  Try it out
for a while and if it does the job, then purchase it).
 
                                                Steven Wells
 
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