Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!mcnc!decvax!harpo!ihnp4!zehntel!tektronix!hplabs!sri-unix!Ewing@YALE.ARPA From: Ewing@YALE.ARPA Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: copy protection Message-ID: <12328@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Mon, 16-Apr-84 14:22:24 EST Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12328 Posted: Mon Apr 16 14:22:24 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 23-Apr-84 01:07:22 EST Lines: 21 From: Ricky Ewing When I was in high school, I had a friend who is now at Brown University who commented to me four years ago about software piracy. He said that now it's alot of fun to get free software and some get their kicks trying to crack it but ten years from now, we'll be the same one's wringing our hands and crying, "Damn those software pirates". I've seen several types of systems to allow people to back up their software either once or several copies just so long as you boot the original disk first (of course what happens if the original disk refuses to boot?). Although useful, these systems are usually limiting and painful. Unfortunately it looks like at this rate, computer software might finally equalize out into pirated numbers that rival the record and tape business but it really need not be so. As I said in an earlier essay, it might be too late for us who are this age to change their ways, but with the microcomputer moving into the elementary school these days, maybe teachers ought to take the time to teach the little tykes about software ethics so that when they grow up, maybe less of them will pirate software. Does anyone have any other ideas to the situation? --Ricky-- -------