Xref: utzoo comp.sys.amiga:26343 comp.misc:4341 Path: utzoo!utgpu!tmsoft!dptcdc!dpmizar!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!uflorida!gatech!emcard!stiatl!john From: john@stiatl.UUCP (John DeArmond) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.misc Subject: Re: Software Development And Piracy (Spurred By FTL replies) Message-ID: <2087@stiatl.UUCP> Date: 9 Dec 88 15:48:30 GMT References: <555@icus.islp.ny.us> <2363@ddsw1.MCS.COM> <1334@leah.Albany.Edu> <2397@ddsw1.MCS.COM> Reply-To: john@stiatl.UUCP (John DeArmond) Organization: Sales Technologies Inc., Atlanta, GA Lines: 144 In article <2397@ddsw1.MCS.COM> karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM(Karl Denninger) writes: > >They are NOT the "better software company" if their products are crippled >and they are not responsive to their customers. "Better" software companies >listen to their customers, and more importantly, they _implement their >requests within reason_ (because they know that those who make the request >will probably buy more from them, and that they will ALSO tell their friends >to do so as well). > >We do a heck of a lot of business on referral -- someone who currently has >our product(s) is talking to a friend and says something like "Well, a >couple of months ago I asked MCS if they could do , and >whadda 'ya know, yesterday I got an update -- and it was in there!". > ("you" and "your" is used generically, not toward Karl's company or him) One of the BEST forms of referral is for one of your customers to make up a disk for his friend. (gasp!) How? you say.. Well assuming your package is worth having in the first place, the copy will let the guy use and become familiar with the product. He obviously will not get full benefit from it without manuals and will not, of course, get support. when he gets serious about using the product, he will probably buy it to get support and docs. Assuming your cost is reasonable, of course. Consider also the fact that your company will get referrals from people who have "bootleg" copies of your software and have NOT bought a copy. I personally try to keep current copies of all significant software on the PC market. Many times as a consultant, I have given a disk to someone to try of software I have not bought and recommended that they try it and if they like it, buy it. Most do. This is the absolute BEST publicity you as a publisher could get. A locally recognized expert has recommended your product and has given the person a disk to try. What more could you ask for. I firmly believe that this so-called "piracy" is the root cause for the original success of all the major horizontal software companies. Take Boreland for example. I'll bet there are a Zillion copies of Turbo Pascal floating around. I don't program in TP, but I've always kept a bootleg copy of the current stuff around. I'm responsible for probably 2 or 3 dozen sales of TP based on my recommendation accompanied by a disk to novice programmers. I could make that recommendation because i had piddled around with it enough to personally know it was a good product. And I will NOT recommend a product I have not personally used. When the ocasion arose that I had to do some TP programming, I bought a copy. Everybody wins. Tightly coupled to this is the requirement that fair value be delivered. TP at 40 or 50 bux is a classic. Good docs, excellent operation at a fair price. If you sell a good program with xeroxed, dot-matrixed docs for 500 bux, be prepared to see a lot of copies floating around. ON the other hand, I will not use or buy or recommend any software with ANY kind of protection scheme, be it disk trickery, phone registration or embedded names. And I consider these types of packages to be fair game to anyone who wants to copy them. > >2) Burn purchasers names into programs if you need "protection". This also Unacceptable. Besides screwing yourselves out of the free publicity described above, consider the risk involved. Suppose I buy a product with my name embedded in it. A friend of mine comes to my machine and gets a copy without my knowledge (open offices and all you know) and spread it around a bit. You find out about it and sic your legal beagles on me with the full might of the copyright laws. The case will hit the papers and trade journals and i'll be terribly embarrised and slandered. You can bet your store on the fact that I'll be back screaming mad looking for your legal hide. Consider your chances of convincing a jury of MY peers (fellow software users) that you are inocent of neglence and slander. > protection methods entail cost, but NEITHER one of them is intrusive or > stops me from backing up or using the product, and both will stop the > "heh Joe, check this package out" type copying, because if Joe calls for > technical support, Jack (who gave Joe the disk) is busted! The "phone > call" method also gives you a permanent record of everyone who has > purchased a copy of the program.....useful if you DO find that a certain > serial number is being seen often.... > I certainly would not bother with the product. If I cannot buy it, open the box and run it unfettered with gimmicks, dongles, and the like, I'll look elsewhere. Your competator will probably have an equivilent product and will be more in touch with his customers than you are. >4) DO SOMETHING for the customer -- thereby forcing him to deal with you if > he wants to keep things up to date -- AND keep him happy. The last may > be the most important point. A _loyal_ customer simply won't let anyone > copy the disks.... once again, if you're into selling "one-shots" and > can't/won't help people out or listen to them this isn't going to get you > anywhere. > Ahaaa!!!! We're getting somewhere now. This is the key to continuing income. Upgrade (as opposed to bug fixes which should be free) the product frequently and offer real value in the form of good documentation. If you view your docs as an equal party in generating your income, you will be far ahead. For example, you should impart your knowledge of the problem your application is designed to address. An accounting package should have a section on double-entry accounting principles. A CAD system should have a section on engineering drawing practices and techniques. This added value is tremendous incentive to the customer to buy your package to get the docs. Especially so if there are enough docs to pass the pain threshold at the xerox machine. An absolutely fatal mistake is for you to unbundle the educational material and try to sell it as a separate book. The user will then simply grab a copy of your software and buy the $20.00 book. >Until we treat (privately and publically) stealing software like stealing >money we don't have a chance; currently stealing software is not only nearly >risk-free, but it something that "everyone does". > > I've got no problem in going after the real theives - those that buy oen copy and then propagate it all over the company - complete with xeroxed docs. I'd screw those people to the wall. Note that this policy almost eliminates the private individual as a "pirate". The one exception is probably the club or user group that sponsors mass copying. > >Or is it better if we just ignore the problem, or continue on our present >course? Do we REALLY want to change the "status quo"; if so, let's do it! I think the real solution will occur when the publishers realize that they are really in pardnership with their customers and that their customers' concerns are at least as important as their own. When the publishers provide reasonably bug free and easy to use software accompanied by good documentation, knowledgible tech support people reachable without 40 calls, fair upgrades that provide added value (as opposed to the 70 and 80 dollar maintenance and bugfix upgrades Microsoft has been foisting off on their compiler customers lately), and readjust their definition of piracy to exclude casual and/or referral copying, then the problem will magically go away. It's as simle as that. Screw the real pirates to show you will not tolerate such activities but support your current and potential users and you will be very successful. john De Armond