Xref: utzoo comp.sys.amiga:26715 comp.misc:4424
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!bellcore!texbell!sugar!uunet!mcvax!enea!kth!luth!loglule!jarl
From: jarl@loglule.se (Jarl Sandberg)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.misc
Subject: Re: Software Development And Piracy (Spurred By FTL replies)
Message-ID: <687@jurgen.loglule.se>
Date: 16 Dec 88 08:07:46 GMT
References: <555@icus.islp.ny.us> <2363@ddsw1.MCS.COM> <1334@leah.Albany.Edu> <6268@fluke.COM> <12447@cup.portal.com>
Reply-To: jarl@loglule.SE (Jarl Sandberg)
Organization: TeleLOGIC AB, Lulea, Sweden
Lines: 55

Different analogies to copying software has been offered such as
stealing cars and so forth. But what happened to the "real" analogy
copying of music? 

The whole debate can easily be transfered to the world of music and often
with the same kind of arguments.

In the world of music, customers might have to put up with inferior 
technologies since the vendors of music are afraid of what might happen.
(I refere to the digital audio tape (DAT) which would have made it possible
to make almost perfect copies of a CD disc.

In the world of video, a VCR was introduced and quickly removed from the
market. It had two slots for the tapes, so that it was easy to copy one
video cassette onto another. The companies that produced movies didn't like
this one (it figures).

Are all the pirates the same?

I do not think so! There are at least three kinds of "pirates"

  a/ Those who copy and SELL copies! This is VERY dirty and should
  be prohibited in any possible way.

  b/ Those who can't afford to buy a specific item of software
  (such as students) and make a copy and use it at home (with no
  intention of making money through selling copies of the program).

The first category should be banned, no doubt about that! 

The second category is harder since it might produce spin-off sales 
later on when the student has got himself a job... This does however
imply one thing. A student who got himself a job and continues to use
the pirate copy in his profession should be banned. He (his company) is
making money on a pirate copy which, de facto, transfers them to the 
first category.

It might be hard (impossible) to promote laws that makes this distinction but 
it might not be needed. All I'm saying is the effort to stop pirating
should/must be concentrated on the first category since they're stealing
the developers efforts.

The second category might be considered as marketing costs?

(The arguments apply mostly to "proffessional" software, games are a specific
kind of software which doesn't fit into my arguments).

As a private person I might use pirated software. 

In my profession, working for a company that produces software I don't
use pirated software. That is a strictly NONO! 

-- Jarl Sandberg          

Disclaimer: These opinions belong to me and not my company!