Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!lll-winken!uunet!yale!cmcl2!phri!roy
From: roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Looking for sample software ethics documents
Message-ID: <3720@phri.UUCP>
Date: 17 Mar 89 17:08:07 GMT
Organization: Public Health Research Institute, NYC, NY
Lines: 40


	The place where I work has a problem with pirating of software.
The semi-official word is that it's OK to not only covet your neighbor's
software but to copy it.  This goes as far as my being told that we simply
will not buy multiple copies of software for our multiple "public"
Macintoshes.  I would estimate that the ratio of purchased to pirated
copies of most commonly used programs is at least 5 to 1.

	Anyway, I need advice on two matters.  First is what sort of
arguments might I use to convince the administration that pirating is bad?
Arguments of "it's illegal" usually result in "but I don't see what's
*wrong* with it" or "I don't think it violates the spirit of copyright if I
just make a copy to use on my Mac at home", or "we'll never get caught".  I
have been asked to set up peoples' new Macintoshes and told, regarding the
software, "no, we're not going to buy a copy, but you won't have to be
directly involved in the copying so don't worry about it".

	Of course, the software suppliers don't really make my life easier.
I have attempted to work out academic site licenses with several suppliers,
but either the cost for site licenses are astronomical, or simply not
available.  So the pirating goes on.

	Second, I would like to convince the administration to issue a
policy statement on this subject.  I'm not planning on becoming some sort
of software policeman, inspecting people's disks to find hot copies of
programs, but I think it is not unreasonable for an institution to make it
a clear written policy that software piracy, even if it's not actively
prevented, is certainly not officially condoned.  Along those lines, I
would be interested in reading any similar policy statements currently
issued by other places (preferably academic institutions like ourselves).

	On the other hand, if people feel that I'm getting all bent out of
shape about something which is not only beyond my control, but beyond my
legal or ethical responsibility to worry about, feel free to tell me that
too (but please be nice about it).
-- 
Roy Smith, System Administrator
Public Health Research Institute
{allegra,philabs,cmcl2,rutgers,hombre}!phri!roy -or- roy@phri.nyu.edu
"The connector is the network"