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From: lauren@Rand-Unix.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: software ethics
Message-ID: <12332@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Apr-84 16:37:26 EST
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12332
Posted: Mon Apr 16 16:37:26 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 23-Apr-84 01:08:08 EST
Lines: 21

In the long run, teaching children about "software ethics" might
do some good.  I doubt that it will cure the problem though -- we've
(theoretically) been teaching people not to steal for many, many years!
The difference, of course, is that (I hope) most people who steal
software wouldn't dream of stealing a candy bar.  Somehow they see
something that exists physically but can be easily duplicated as
being something for which it's OK not to pay.

A similar sort of logic has been applied to drug abuse -- the argument
implies that only through education and living condition changes
can drug abuse be controlled.  Certainly Joe Friday hasn't done much
good with his techniques.  

My guess is that software piracy will continue at high levels indefinitely,
until eventually reasonable technical solutions, that can deal with
99% of the problem, will be worked out.  All of the ideas currently in
use (copy protection, etc.) are half-baked and pretty much useless.
I can think of several reasonable solutions to the technical problems,
but they are all too expensive to implement using current technology.

--Lauren--