Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!eecae!cps3xx!usenet
From: usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Questions from the Soviets about UNIX
Message-ID: <1411@cps3xx.UUCP>
Date: 2 Jan 89 03:35:36 GMT
References: <1277@orion.cf.uci.edu>
Organization: Engineering, Michigan State U., E. Lansing MI
Lines: 27


 In article <661@bbking.KSP.Unisys.COM> rmarks@KSP.Unisys.COM (Richard Marks) writes:
>Remember the Soviets do NOT honor U.S. (or anyone else's) copywrite laws.
>So they will pirate SCO Xenix at the institutional level.  I say no help
>unless we can be sure that SCO, ATT, et al are protected.
>Richard Marks
 
This is not the point.  In this case, we have a serious problem with the
basic ideas behind copy-protection!  Since the Soviets could not purchase
this software, (because they have no money that anyone outside of the SU
would accept), they have little choice in the matter.  If SCO would enter
into a joint venture with the SU, they could gain the sales that potentially
exist there.  But, these sales are nothing more than a potential since without
piracy, no one in the SU would have a copy of it to begin with.

Is SCO (or AT$T for that matter), losing anything by the fact that the Soviets
are using un-registered (stolen) copies?  I think not.

In this instance, (and possibly here _only_), we have a form of piracy that 
harms no one.  Is this a ``BAD THING''?  Food for thought.
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Robert Raisch - TechnoJunkie & UnixNut| UseNet: {uunet,mailrus}!frith!raisch
Network Software Group-301 Comp.Center| InterNet: raisch@frith.egr.msu.edu 
Michigan State University, E. Lansing | ICBMNet: 084 28 50 W / 42 43 29 N
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      The meek WILL inherit the Earth, (Some of us have other plans).
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