Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!pepper!cmcmanis
From: cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: About Software Piracy!
Message-ID: <38324@sun.uucp>
Date: 8 Jan 88 20:51:31 GMT
References: <1962@houxa.UUCP> <1356@vaxwaller.UUCP>
Sender: news@sun.uucp
Reply-To: cmcmanis@sun.UUCP (Chuck McManis)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 19

In article <1356@vaxwaller.UUCP> (Rich Commins) writes:
>  If a person BUYS a copy of program X and then downloads a copy of
>  program X that is not copyprotected from a hacker's BBS to use on a
>  harddisk or for making backups, is he still considered a pirate?

This sounds like one of those philosophical questions that one can argue
so easily both ways. Technically, when you download the program you are
receiving stolen goods, which is a criminal offense in the U.S. of A.
On the other hand, the manufacturer has not 'lost' anything because 
you did indeed buy the product from him. So morally, I think you could
get away with this (at least it wouldn't bother me. :-)). But on a more
realistic note, with all the discussions about digital social diseases,
would you trust a program if you didn't know where it lost it's virginity?
[Are analogies great? :-) ]


--Chuck McManis
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: cmcmanis  ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.