Xref: utzoo comp.sys.amiga:26465 comp.misc:4372
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!super!udel!gatech!mcdchg!ddsw1!karl
From: karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.misc
Subject: Re: Software Development And Piracy (Spurred By FTL replies)
Summary: Heck, I'd go farther out on a limb than that!
Message-ID: <2449@ddsw1.MCS.COM>
Date: 12 Dec 88 20:04:46 GMT
References: <555@icus.islp.ny.us> <2363@ddsw1.MCS.COM> <1334@leah.Albany.Edu> <6268@fluke.COM> <12447@cup.portal.com>
Reply-To: karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM(Karl Denninger)
Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga
Organization: Macro Computer Solutions, Inc., Mundelein, IL
Lines: 36

In article <12447@cup.portal.com> thad@cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan) writes:
>Kurt Guntheroth was asking (paraphrased) " ... why not offer cash prizes for
>turning in pirates ..." ...
>
>Earlier this year (1988), I understood that SPA (Software Publishers Ass'n)
>was offering a $50 bounty to people who reported thieves' (e.g. "pirates",
>though why glorify scum with such a name?) BBS' and other operations.
>
>I heard the program ($50 bounty) was successful re: closing down such BBS
>operations in Washington and Oregon, and the present focus is California.

As a publisher, let me say that I think we'd be more than willing to offer 
5% of the recovery goes to the "snitch"; in addition, I'd even be willing to 
keep the "snitch"'s identity confidential (although this might drastically 
affect the chance of persuing the thief; the snitch can always come forward 
publically to ensure they get paid off :-)

5% of the $10,000 possible per violation ought to wake some people up --
sure, you won't get paid every time you snitch on your employer/pirate/etc,
but the few times you do......I mean, that's $500 per violation!  And we
know how many violations the average teen pirate commits, right?  Catch that
kid (or the law office) with 300 pirated disks and you can say goodbye to
Mom & Dad's (or Mr. Lawyers) home (office) building.....

Sure, the kids can't be stopped by suing them -- they don't have anything to
lose!  But the PARENTS have something to lose, and our legal system makes
parents accountable for their children's actions.

In fact, perhaps we ought to start such a program for our software; who
knows if it's being pirated (we've never seen a rogue copy, but I assume
there are a few).

--
Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, ddsw1!karl)
Data: [+1 312 566-8912], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910]
Macro Computer Solutions, Inc.    	"Quality solutions at a fair price"