Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!zodiac!deimos!cbunjiov
From: cbunjiov@deimos.ads.com (Charleen Bunjiovianna)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Distribution of shareware for profit without permission
Message-ID: <3659@zodiac.UUCP>
Date: 30 Apr 88 20:26:56 GMT
References: <16428@cornell.UUCP> <68@dcs.UUCP>
Sender: news@zodiac.UUCP
Reply-To: cbunjiov@ads.com (Charleen Bunjiovianna)
Distribution: comp
Organization: Advanced Decision Systems, Mt. View, CA (415) 941-3912
Lines: 42

In article <16428@cornell.UUCP> wilk@svax.cs.cornell.edu (Michael Wilk) writes:
->
->The "Public (software) Library" is a company that distributes shareware and
->public domain software for only a few dollars per disk.  In their latest
->catalog I saw my shareware program listed, but they never contacted me for
->my permission to do so.  Their description of my program was inadequate,
->written by someone who knew little about it.
->While I encourage the distribution of the program I feel a little resentful,
->especially because their catalog assures one that the programs are included
->only with the authors' permission.  Does anyone know if what the company
->did is legal?  My program has the correct copyright notice on the opening
->screen.

I don't know if it's legal or not.  I do know that in distributing the
free EGA shareware I offered on the net recently, I'm incurring costs
close to what we're talking about here: .75 for disk mailers from
Fry's, .25 for the disk, .50 for postage, so we're up to $1.50 already
without even considering the cost of using my computer to make copies.
Some requesting disks have graciously offered to reimburse me; the
other costs I'll absorb.

But I couldn't possibly run a business this way. If they're charging
"a few dollars per disk", the profit on your program could only be
pennies, at most.  How much of a contribution are you asking for in
your shareware copyright notice?  If they make a couple of cents off
each distribution of your program and 1 out of 10 customers send you
the shareware contribution, aren't you better off?

If their program description is inadequate, I'd provide them with a 
better one.  What have you got to lose?









/* Charleen Bunjiovianna       | "To boldly go where angels fear to tread"  */
/* Advanced Decision Systems   |                                            */
/* Mountain View, California   | WORK HARDER...millions on welfare are      */
/*                             | counting on you.                           */