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From: munson@ernie.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: TeX (Apple Payoff Blacklist...)
Message-ID: <17122@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Fri, 30-Jan-87 14:26:37 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.17122
Posted: Fri Jan 30 14:26:37 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Jan-87 07:48:58 EST
References: <673@imsvax.UUCP> <1600@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> <653@uw-warp.UUCP> <609@tikal.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: munson@ernie.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (Ethan Munson)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 34
Keywords: TeX Public Domain
Xref: watmath comp.sys.ibm.pc:1280 comp.sys.mac:1047


I have lost track of who originally complained about the cost of 
Addison-Wesley's version of TeX, but it is to him and the other
folks who complain about the high service charges/profits for
public domain and free distribution programs that I wish to respond.

I don't understand why you think operations like Addison-Wesley are 
doing something wrong when they ask a high price for a product like TeX.
I can think of many reasons that $600 is a fair price, from a business
standpoint.  However, it's quite possible that A-W is clearing $250
a unit and laughing all the way to the bank.  I think Apple has a
profit margin that approaches that level on the Mac+.

Personally, that doesn't bother me at all.  A-W is not a public trust.
They are a profit-motivated enterprise and if they make lots of profit
that's good for them.  If their price for TeX is too high for me, I
won't buy it.  I don't think they owe me a copy at the price I
consider "right".  Am I missing something?  It seems to me that Knuth
is a man of great intelligence who would have made his copyright
tighter if he had wanted to prevent someone from charging prices that
high.  Therefore, I presume that the current situation doesn't
violate his wishes.

If you really want a cheaper version, you might write A-W, telling
them what price you would buy it at.  That probably won't do much
unless you get lots of others to do the same.  You could also
encourage others to write cheaper versions.  

I guess I get a sense of moral outrage from these comments on price of
software.  I don't understand it because I don't think we were
promised "fair" prices.  

Ethan Munson
munson@ernie.berkeley.edu