Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utcsrgv.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!info-mac From: info-mac@utcsrgv.UUCP (info-mac) Newsgroups: ont.micro.mac Subject: Copy Protection (Minor Flame) Message-ID: <4758@utcsrgv.UUCP> Date: Wed, 4-Jul-84 01:30:33 EDT Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.4758 Posted: Wed Jul 4 01:30:33 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 4-Jul-84 02:38:46 EDT Sender: peterr@utcsrgv.UUCP Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto Lines: 31 Date: Tue 3 Jul 84 18:08:26-PDT From: Tony Siegman Subject: Copy Protection (Minor Flame) To: info-mac@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA [I'll rush this into print before Ed Patterman gets back and filters all this minor-league flaming out of info-mac]. AES -- I'm appalled and rather surprised to read (per J. Pournelle) that BIG companies frequently rip off software, including even relatively low-priced stuff. It's not that I think big companies are more moral than the rest of us; it's just that they usually seem to at least follow a formal appearance of playing by the rules, and then accomplishing any dirty deeds either by bending the rules, slipping through loopholes, or perverting the rulemakers themselves (i.e., making lots of big contributions to legislators and politicians). Also, it would seem almost easier for them to use their buying power and negotiate a bulk price with the vendor for whatever software they need. Maybe some of this piracy is done by the troops at lower levels, more or less without official knowledge, and really isn't company policy. Anyway, one counterweapon against the big guys might be just simply publicity, and the resulting embarrassment. There must be lots of ways the names and unsocial acts of such companies could be put out on bboards and nets, without running too much danger of getting a lawsuit in return. -------