Xref: utzoo comp.sys.amiga:14390 comp.sys.misc:1148 comp.sys.ibm.pc:11808 comp.sys.mac:12586 comp.sys.atari.st:7520
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!mcvax!cernvax!ethz!zu
From: zu@ethz.UUCP (Urs Zurbuchen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Shareware & Honesty (Was: Software (and other kinds of) copying)
Message-ID: <297@bernina.UUCP>
Date: 9 Feb 88 12:47:35 GMT
References: <8055@g.ms.uky.edu> <174@piring.cwi.nl> <39450@sun.uucp> <39910@sun.uucp> <971@uop.edu>
Reply-To: zu@bernina.UUCP (Urs Zurbuchen)
Organization: ETH Zuerich, CS Department, Switzerland
Lines: 52

Here are two stories belonging to software piracy. They may not be worth more
than two cents, but here they go anyway.

>Shareware is a great concept except for one small detail.  It relies on
>the honesty of the participants.  In European countries, that wouldn't be
>so bad (at least from my experiences...I have lived in Europe for 13 years).

I do not comment on that although I'm a European. I think it would be better
never to tell such things again. Why? See below!

Last week I made an interesting experience. I had contact to many software
houses. And ALL OF THEM are piracing software from other companies. You see,
they make a living out of selling software but the don't hesitate to use
software from other manufacturers they didn't pay. I asked the management what
they would do if someone just copied their software and would give it away
to his friends so they could use it for free. I think you can imagine what
they said. Then I asked them why they pirate software themselves. "Oh", they
told me, "that's not the same thing. We had that customer who had that
software, and you know, we needed it. And why should we buy it. We have it
now, and it's definetly much more cheaper." (Ok, I can agree with the last
point :-) ).
As long as software houses steal software there is NO WAY the situation will
ever be better. (Maybe US software houses are more honest in this aspect. I
don't know, I never lived in the USA).

The other story:
(Many of you know it already, especially the readers of one peculiar
newsgroup. I don't tell you in this article what kind of computer was
involved. Don't ask me why! I just don't know.)
Some time ago someone developped a Virus which copied itself onto the next
disk that you booted from (unless you turned power off, of course). After
some time it just displayed a message. It was meant to be harmless - no
hidden formatting or so. Ok, there was an unwished side effect but that's
another story.
What happened to this virus. Well it got spread around the WORLD in about two
months. And because it copied itself only onto the next boot floppy it was
spread mainly by illegal redistribution of copy protected commercial software.
(You had to boot from those floppies.) It was quite a shock for software
companies to learn about how fast there products are copied.
But that's not the point I wanted to make. The real point is, that if you
go to the software shop in your neighbourhood and buy a package which comes
directly from the manufacturer, still wrink wrapped, you will find the virus
on it.

		Have a nice day, anyway,
			...urs

UUCP: ...seismo!mcvax!cernvax!ethz!zu

Disclaimer: I don't work for a company. I'm just a student. If anybody is
            going to say, my opinion is the opinion of all thirty thousand
            students here, then I'm proud of myself.