Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!news.iastate.edu!vaxf.iastate.edu!TAAK9
From: taak9@isuvax.iastate.edu (Steve Sheldon)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games
Subject: Re: Chessamster 2100 patch
Message-ID: <1991May14.011224.4218@news.iastate.edu>
Date: 14 May 91 01:12:24 GMT
References: <1991Apr26.162946.25169@cs.ruu.nl> <3850@ux.acs.umn.edu> <1991May06.155345.17107@cs.ruu.nl> <1991May7.002909.17186@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu>,<1991May07.103100.12997@cs.ruu.nl> <1991May8.012544.29827@news.iastate.edu>,<1991May13.144925.9496@cs.ruu.nl>
Sender: news@news.iastate.edu (USENET News System)
Reply-To: taak9@isuvax.iastate.edu
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA.
Lines: 39

In article <1991May13.144925.9496@cs.ruu.nl>, ptavoly@cs.ruu.nl (Peter Tavoly) writes:
>In <1991May8.012544.29827@news.iastate.edu> taak9@isuvax.iastate.edu (Steve Sheldon) writes:
>> I would support any bill brought to congress that protected the
>>rights of software consumers. We should have the RIGHT to make backup
>>copies of our software, or be provided a backup copy for cost of media only.
>
>Hmm.. An interesting thought. I'm in favour :^)
>

  I recall reading in Dr. Dobbs a few months back(6 perhaps) about a 
group that was working for changing copyright laws to be more in favor
of the general populace.  You have to understand, when the copyright
and patent laws were first conceived, they were there to protect the
rights of the individual.  The inventor, the artist, etc.  I believe less
than 20% of patents issued today are to individuals, they are mostly to
coporations.

 Q - Is there a Usenet group that deals with ethics and copyright, etc?

 My opinion is that the copyright doesn't work for software.  Or at
least the definition has been perverted.  The duration is too long for
one thing.  Software written for a VIC-20 still has over 60 years of
protection under copyright law.  Considering nobody is buying it, what
is the harm in copying it?

 Well, I could argue until my head turned blue and popped off, but...


> -ThomasT.
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ____
>Thomas Tavoly, Commercial Computer Science - HEAO Utrecht, NL.           / / /
>"Whoever talks too much, has no time to think." - Peter Tavoly.       AMIGA /
>Favourite quote: "The Mac OS is amazingly complex,               ____  / / /
> .sig v3.0e       given how little it does." - Peter da Silva    \ \ \/ / /
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>> ptavoly@praxis.cs.ruu.nl <<~~~~~~~~~  \_\_\/_/
Steve Sheldon               /// |  Do not write in this space
taak9@ccvax.iastate.edu    ///  |
Senior, Computer Science \XX/   |    For Office Use Only