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From: ralphw@ius2.cs.cmu.edu (Ralph Hyre)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: What a dongle is (Was Re: Copy protection: boycott it!)
Message-ID: <1247@ius2.cs.cmu.edu>
Date: Fri, 31-Jul-87 14:53:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: ius2.1247
Posted: Fri Jul 31 14:53:32 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Aug-87 01:47:06 EDT
References: <6965@ism780c.UUCP> <1193@killer.UUCP> <776@cod.UUCP>
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 23
Keywords: licensing vs purchase; reasonableness

In article <776@cod.UUCP> rupp@cod.nosc.mil.UUCP (William L. Rupp) writes:
>like a lot of the details of software licensing, but I recognize that
>nobody would bother to create software if the licensing protection did
>not exist.
I disagree - the profit motive for selling software may be reduced if
licensing protection didn't exist, but people would still create software.
Without the licensing loophole, computer software might fall under the
Uniform Commercial Code, and software producers could be help liable for
products that fail to perform as described. 

So without licensing, maybe Lotus Development Corporation wouldn't exist.
So what?

Others would continue to create software, people who do it as a hobby or
because they want other people to appreciate their work.

People and companies who aren't so greedy as to try to squeeze every potential
penny out of a product would continue to create software.
-- 
					- Ralph W. Hyre, Jr.

Internet: ralphw@ius2.cs.cmu.edu    Phone:(412)268-{2847,3275} CMU-{BUGS,DARK}
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