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From: pswanson@umvlsi.ecs.umass.edu (Paul Swanson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: Mac and Amiga (Games--Macintosh vs A500)
Message-ID: <1654@umvlsi.ecs.umass.edu>
Date: 15 Mar 91 03:30:46 GMT
References: <7906@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> <1991Mar14.233243.29563@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> <7920@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>
Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
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In article <7920@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> blissmer@expert.cc.purdue.edu (Corey) writes:
>
>Well actually this is a very serious point about the Amiga.  The main reason
>"big" software developers ignore the amiga.  The Amiga has the most pirates
>of any platform.  They don't pirate to "try and buy".  They just pirate.

What a Crock!  I don't want to incriminate anyone I know but let me just
say that I know at least 50 Mac users (and that is a very conservative
estimate) and EVERY SINGLE ONE IS A PIRATE.  And these are not people
who do things like subscribe to pirate BBSes.  They are what Mac users
would describe as the typical Mac user.  So called "big" software
developers can absorb massive pirating on systems like the Mac or IBM
because there is such a large installed user base.  Only a small
fraction of the total users have to pay for the program to make it
profitable.

Personally I am unable to pirate amiga programs since I am the only
amiga user I know.
>>

>We'll see what the judge rules.  Paperback already lost to Lotus on look and
>feel.
[stuff wiped out]
>Cars aren't computers.
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This is the basic problem with the law and computers.  Basically I think
that leagal types are not competent to deal with issues relating to
computers.  Look and feel IS a bogus argument.  First off, I can think
of several Mac programs, such as Hypercard, where you can make the case
that they don't have the same "feel" even on all Macs.  On an SE/30 your
stack may work great but you will want to throw your Plus out the
window due to the lack of speed.  Second, what constitues similar look
and feel is extreemly subjective, but even worse, it is basically
arbitrary.  When this is combined with the basic ignorance of the judges
the winner in any look and feel case will be the one willing to spend
the most money on lawyers.

Of course even worse than look and feel is the idea of software
patents.  I think the best way to deal with these is to declair all
code up to this point in time as obvious and therefore not worthy of a
patent.  Even beter would be to not allow software patents at all.  
Perhaps this is my own personal prejudice showing through
since I am a REAL engineer (as in chemical).  

Paul.