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From: comeau@Alliant.COM (John Comeau)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.misc
Subject: Re: Software Development And Piracy (Spurred By FTL replies)
Message-ID: <2789@alliant.Alliant.COM>
Date: 16 Dec 88 21:13:07 GMT
References: <555@icus.islp.ny.us> <2363@ddsw1.MCS.COM> <1334@leah.Albany.Edu> <2397@ddsw1.MCS.COM> <2087@stiatl.UUCP>
Reply-To: comeau@alliant.Alliant.COM (John Comeau)
Organization: Alliant Computer Systems, Littleton, MA
Lines: 91

In article <2087@stiatl.UUCP> john@stiatl.UUCP (John DeArmond) writes:
>
>One of the BEST forms of referral is for one of your customers to make up
>a disk for his friend. (gasp!) 

Yeah! 	 - You're not really TAKING anything from the publishers,
	   You're GIVING them free publicity.

>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 

Wow!	- What a generous guy. 
	  Those software publishers should be paying YOU!

>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

Of Course! - Giving is a YEAR ROUND proposition, not just Christmas time.

>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.

Well done! - Those software publishers sould be paying you top dollar
	      for publicity from a RECOGNIZED EXPERT.

>I firmly believe that this so-called "piracy" is the root cause for the
>original success of all the major horizontal software companies.  Take 

MBA!	- Never mind the payments, You deserve STOCK OPTIONS.

>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.

Outrage!  - Those software publishing BASTARDS! 
	    (scuse my language. I'm outraged.)
	    Their programs being copied might not be ENOUGH punishment.
	     

>>2) Burn purchasers names into programs if you need "protection".
>This is also Unacceptable.
>Besides screwing yourselves out of the free publicity described above

Outrage and pity! - Those STUPID software publishing B******S!!

>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.

For sure. - No Jury that knew what a nice generous guy you are could
	    consider ruling against you. And to slander a fellow
	    with such a philanthopic history - Sue 'em for Millions.

>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

Free enterprise! - The COMPETITOR will get the free publicity.
		   
>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.

Absolutely! - Who would want such software? The ONLY way it could be used
	      is if you knew of a bookstore with a xerox machine.


>I've got no problem in going after the real theives - those that buy one
>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.

Good policy! - Identify the REAL thieves and go after them.

>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.

Webster - Call a spade a spade. Piracy is piracy, Publicity is publicity.
          If you define free publicity as piracy you will see all kinds
	  of problems that really don't exist. It IS as simple as that.

>john De Armond

Thanks!!!!!!!!!