Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!ai-lab!life!tmb From: tmb@ai.mit.edu (Thomas M. Breuel) Newsgroups: comp.misc Subject: Re: Any piracy statistics in the US ?? Message-ID: Date: 19 Jun 91 04:35:32 GMT References: <1991Jun13.124814.6628@dit.upm.es> Sender: news@ai.mit.edu Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab Lines: 19 In-reply-to: esink@turia.dit.upm.es's message of 13 Jun 91 12:48:14 GMT In article <1991Jun13.124814.6628@dit.upm.es> esink@turia.dit.upm.es writes: The February 24 edition of a Spanish newspaper here says that for every 100 computers sold [in Spain] during 1988, 16 software packages were sold. Furthermore, it mentions that actually, each microcomputer is used with 2.5 software packages, on the average. A source is not given for these stats, but if they are even close to true, software piracy is rampant in Spain. I have never bought any software for my 386/UNIX computer (other than the OS, which was included). Neither have I pirated any software. Instead, I am using TeX, Emacs, the GNU software, and the software that I write myself. There is no reason why anyone who buys a computer should have to buy any commercial software to go with it: there is a lot of free or public domain software out there that solves most people's needs. Thomas.