Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!ukc!reading!onion!cf-cm!mch
From: mch@computing-maths.cardiff.ac.uk (Major Kano)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: lotus chairman makes 26 million
Summary: The REAL reason !
Keywords: copy protection piracy
Message-ID: <362@cf-cm.UUCP>
Date: 10 May 88 12:55:55 GMT
References: <9160@cisunx.UUCP> <1801@uhccux.UUCP> <807@netxcom.UUCP>
Reply-To: mch@computing-maths.cardiff.ac.uk (Major Kano)
Followup-To: comp.misc
Organization: University College Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Lines: 38

In article <807@netxcom.UUCP> ewiles@netxcom.UUCP (Edwin Wiles) writes:
## In article <1801@uhccux.UUCP> lee@uhccux.UUCP (Greg Lee) writes:

(* robin hood stuff deleted *)

## And in case you think I'm being frivolous, I'm not.  I would like to see
## more discussion on exactly WHY copying software is 'wrong/right'. 
(*
   What everyone seems to ignore is that the *REAL* argument in favour of
   s/w copying is a combination of (1) and (2) below:-
*)
##
## 1 The people who wrote it are charging so much for it that I can't afford it,
##   yet I really need it.  (A rather lame argument.)
##
## 2 The people who wrote it are greedy so-and-so's who charge 200% more than
##   the product is actually worth, so I'm reducing that profit margin to
##   something more reasonable.  (Not much better.)
(*
   In other words,

   "I really need it, and though I should like, from a fair-play viewpoint, to
    pay for it, the people who wrote it are greedy so-and-so's and are
    charging 200% more than the product is actually worth."

   In other words, the s/w writers are * PROFITEERING *.

   This seems to me to be a crushing indictment of s/w writers, but it is the
most common reason for s/w copying that I have heard of. In most cases, I would
agree with it.

   What does everyone else think ?

-- 
Martin C. Howe, University College Cardiff | "You actually program in 'C'
mch@vax1.computing-maths.cardiff.ac.uk.    |  WITHOUT regular eye-tests ?!"
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My cats know more about UCC's opinions than I do.| MOSH! In the name of ANTHRAX!