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From: dgary@ecsvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Software Piracy - Marketing Persipective
Message-ID: <2324@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 18-Apr-84 10:16:20 EST
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.2324
Posted: Wed Apr 18 10:16:20 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 20-Apr-84 00:28:45 EST
References: hou2a.326
Lines: 20

It seems to me that there is a big difference between copying software and
copying records, from a marketing perspective.  A copy of a record is not
likely to be copied itself, because the quality degrades rapidly.  Therefore
the number of copies of a record is effectively limited by the number of
tapes the record owner is likely to make (or let his or her friends make).
It also takes time to tape a record, and this limits the number of copies.
In contrast, a copy of a program is every bit as copyable as the original, so
it is theoretically possible that only one original need ever enter the
marketplace.

Also, the advent of record-rental stores and the increase in music taping
has led to (according to the record industry) a recent serious drop-off in
revenues.  This is in addition to the commercial piracy problem.  What happens
if it becomes easy and cheap to photocopy books, by the way?  I've seen quite
a few students with photocopies of the D&D manuals, for instance, and I might
note that they cost a lot less than dBase II!

Ramblingly,
D Gary Grady, Duke University Computation Center
(ecsvax!dgary)