Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!we13!ihnp4!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!smith@NRL-AIC.ARPA From: smith@NRL-AIC.ARPA Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: paperback software Message-ID: <12629@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Fri, 20-Apr-84 07:01:00 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12629 Posted: Fri Apr 20 07:01:00 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 30-Apr-84 05:20:15 EDT Lines: 28 From: Russ Smith RE: software piracy Sell software cheap...REALLY CHEAP...like a buck or two (max) over the going price of a bare disk (8", 5.25", or whatever). Put the documentation, if any, right on the disk. Get people used to disposable software. Cut production costs to the bare minimum. There are excellent books in paperback, there are horrible books in paperback. Same applies to software (witness JRT + TURBO (not necessarily in that order)). Don't worry about pirates for the stuff planned for the MASS market (the vast majority of software sold is just that). DON'T support the stuff you sell this way. Caveat Emptor! Updates and fixes are equivalent to new editions. If you must, make a disk protection scheme which is just time consuming to break ("S**t! I'll just buy a copy!"). Market more expensive packages as hardbacks are...nice wrapping, maybe a pretty bound manual or two. DON'T support them, either! (It might be nice to make sure the more expensive versions don't have a lot of mistakes...but I've got an awful lot of >$30 CMSC books that have more recent editions...). For the REALLY-EXPENSIVE-STUFF, track down and sue the pants off the pirates, after all, it's worth it. Flames to the net, please, NOT to me directly... Half sincerely yours, Russ (It's a slow Friday...)