Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site sunybcs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!whuxl!whuxlm!akgua!mcnc!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!rochester!rocksvax!sunybcs!ugthomas From: ugthomas@sunybcs.UUCP ( Timothy Thomas) Newsgroups: net.micro.apple Subject: Re: An open letter to software pirates Message-ID: <1384@sunybcs.UUCP> Date: Fri, 22-Mar-85 19:33:35 EST Article-I.D.: sunybcs.1384 Posted: Fri Mar 22 19:33:35 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 26-Mar-85 06:14:03 EST References: <1180@decwrl.UUCP> Organization: State University of New York @ Buffalo,NY Lines: 68 Every (just about) computer owner has some sort of pirated software. There is just no way you are going to stop piracy; mainly because of the quality of the software out there. There is a lot ( A LOT!! ) of very poorly written software out there, and I dont think the price is justifiable for the quality of the software you get. (now before I resume, I know what some anti-pirates out there are saying. It is because of the piracy that software manufacturers dont live up to the quality for the money. But I will go on about that later.) Who wants to pay hundreds of dollars for something which could probably have been written by some high-school student working on the micros in his intro to C.S. course. I think many programs out there are of this quality. Many people believe that the so called 'software muggers', more commonly known as pirates; are putting software companies out of business. I dont believe this to be true either. All of the software I have which was mugged, I never use. I mainly have it as a 'collection'. I believe this to be true for the majority of the software pirates. The people who are really into software piracy just do it for kicks; to see how much software they can get. BUT NONE OF THEM WOULD HAVE BOUGHT IT IN THE FIRST PLACE! They dont use it, just have it as a collection. I dont see how bootleg copies of a program which would have never been bought could possibly hurt anybody. Just look at companies like borland int. They put out one of the best pascal compilers on the market; I bought (yes, i buy software) mine for only $30 from a mail order company. Now, if quality like this exists for this very nominal fee; why cant other software manufactures do the same (except for special purpose software packages; which are not pirated -at least not to use- anyways. These specially developed packages usually need to have the support to use it efficiently. These are the only kind of packages which are justifiable to have a higher cost.) Smaller companies, which can not afford to do this, simply will have to fold. If the software was good enough, it would be bought; even by the most dedicated pirates. In order for software to live; THERE MUST BE SUPPORT. Nobody in their right mind will buy a software package if the support is not good enough. Support usually means that the company will be there at some later date, and in order for the company to be there, they must sell a lot of their software, at a good price. Another reason for much of the software piracy is for comparison. Lets say you want to buy a word processor. The best way to see which one you like the best is to try them all out for a while (a while being longer than the amount of time you can test it while in the store). Usually the only way to do this is to try out bootleg copies of the software. After deciding which one is best; many times the 'mugger' will go out and buy the one he/she/it likes the best. Sometimes the software piracy which is 'so rampant' out there helps companies (but only GOOD ones). Until prices go down, and quality goes up; software piracy will never cease. I liked the example previously pointed out about records. Althought more records are sold than any single piece of software; I dont think software development costs exceed those of a record cost. Prices can always come down some. -- ...Tim Thomas ...{burdvax, rocksvax, bbncca, decvax, dual, rocksanne, watmath}!sunybcs!ugthomas Remember...... Only you can prevent software piracy.