Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!amdahl!pacbell!att!homxb!hounx!marty1
From: marty1@hounx.ATT.COM (M.B.BRILLIANT)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Re: Commercial software in comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Message-ID: <1291@hounx.ATT.COM>
Date: 20 Mar 89 17:32:04 GMT
References: <6236@bsu-cs.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T BL Holmdel NJ USA
Lines: 39

From article <6236@bsu-cs.UUCP>, by dhesi@bsu-cs.UUCP (Rahul Dhesi):
> DEMOs versus FULLY FUNCTIONAL PROGRAMS
> 
> Suppose there is a terrific program that is submitted to
> comp.binaries.ibm.pc.  It is fully functional, but the license says
> that you may not use it beyond a trial period of 15 days without
> paying....
> 
> Another program, submitted at the same time, is terrific too.  It's a
> demo, but the only thing that makes it a demo is that 15 days from the
> date of first use it will stop working .....

I wonder whether we've gone off on the wrong track.  I'm reminded of
the question of whether "amateur athletics" is really amateur.

Do we want to distribute only what amateur programmers produce?  An
amateur programmer is either a student, or an adult using his
employer's resources, or a hobbyist.  They don't need payment.

Shareware is professional.  Note that one group we are worrying about
calls itself the "Association of Shareware Professionals."  No matter
how they write their readme files, they are in fact professionals, and
distributing their product is free advertising.

I don't see how we can try to set precise conditions on the terms an
author sets for use and distribution, until we decide what class of
software we want to see on the net.  If we want shareware I think we
have to accept it on the professionals' terms.  If we want only
freeware, then I think we have to reject all shareware.

Maybe we're really trying to define a legal distinction between
shareware and freeware.  But what will we do after we figure it out?

M. B. Brilliant					Marty
AT&T-BL HO 3D-520	(201) 949-1858
Holmdel, NJ 07733	att!homxc!marty

Disclaimer: Opinions stated herein are mine unless and until my employer
            explicitly claims them; then I lose all rights to them.