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From: mark@markshome.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sources.d
Subject: Re: Can the author refuse to share shareware?
Message-ID: <6177@mimsy.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 8-Apr-87 01:11:26 EST
Article-I.D.: mimsy.6177
Posted: Wed Apr  8 01:11:26 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Apr-87 05:19:50 EST
References: <2513@dalcs.UUCP>
Sender: news@mimsy.UUCP
Reply-To: mark@markshome.UUCP (mark weiser)
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, College Pk., Md. 20742
Lines: 24
Keywords: arc


I suppose the reason for refusing a shareware fee is pretty clear--namely
that the author of the software thinks that it is too difficult to
support on the system on which you are claiming to run it, and once
the author accepts the shareware fee a relationship is created between
buyer and seller which gives the buyer certain rights (for instance,
to sue.)

So I suppose one of the real questions is: can you continue to run the
software if you have tried to pay the shareware fee and been refused?
Was part of the fee-refusal a request to cease running the shareware?

Lots of interesting new law here.

-mark

I'm reminded of the (mythical?) 'legal tender' case law, which supposedly
says that if you attempt to pay for something with 'legal tender'
(e.g. dollars in the U.S.A.), and your money is not accepted, then
by making the offer you have gone as far as you need to, and you may now
walk off with the item(!).

Spoken: Mark Weiser 	ARPA:	mark@mimsy.umd.edu	Phone: +1-301-454-7817
After May 1, 1987: weiser@xerox.com