Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cbmvax!jesup
From: jesup@cbmvax.UUCP (Randell Jesup)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Software Development And Piracy (Spurred By FTL replies)
Message-ID: <5485@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 9 Dec 88 23:50:52 GMT
References: <555@icus.islp.ny.us> <12325@cup.portal.com>
Reply-To: jesup@cbmvax.UUCP (Randell Jesup)
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 31

In article <12325@cup.portal.com> FelineGrace@cup.portal.com (Dana B Bourgeois) writes:
>I HAVE been the recipient of copied commercial software, both games, languages
>and utillities.  The ones I liked I PURCHASED.  All disks have been wiped of
>the bootleg copies-I can make my OWN backups, thank you-and I can honestly say
>that NO DEVELOPER OR DISTRIBUTOR OR DEALER HAS BEEN HARMED BY THESE OCCURANCES
>IN ANY WAY.
...
>I want to know that I
>can really USE that $40 package(or $400 package) before I buy it.  If I can't
>make a successful copy, I sure can't make a backup now can I?

	As Eric Hyman (sp) said, this is less egregious than the other
classes of "pirates" he listed.

	The best solution to this is to have a good dealer.  My local dealer
when I lived near Albany, New York was Software & Such.  You could try out
any program on the Amiga's in the store, to see whether they were what you
wanted (which reminds me of another pet peeve: boxes that tell you nothing
about the product in any way, not even screen shots.)  They had an excellent
return policy, etc, etc.  I didn't have to worry about buying something that
wasn't what I wanted, since I could try it out in the store.

	This eliminates your reasons for accepting (even temporarily) any
illegally copied software.  Unfortunately, most dealers aren't as good about
trying stuff in the store.  This does NOT mean I condone such copying, see
my first paragraph; I'm just showing how the reasons you stated can be
nullified by a good dealer.

-- 
You've heard of CATS? Well, I'm a member of DOGS: Developers Of Great Software.
Randell Jesup, Commodore Engineering {uunet|rutgers|allegra}!cbmvax!jesup