Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!pro-nucleus.UUCP!hzink
From: hzink@pro-nucleus.UUCP (Harry Zink)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Piracy...$2/shaft
Message-ID: <8905240736.AA18683@crash.cts.com>
Date: 23 May 89 20:32:24 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: pnet01!pro-sol!pro-nucleus!hzink@nosc.mil
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 33

Network Comment: to #948 by pnet01!crash!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!obsolete!nazgul

I think that a clarification is in order.  When the infamous $2.00 product was
mentioned, I am pretty sure that the author did not simply refer to the
production costs, but to the overall value of the program itself.  Let's face
it, there are programs out there where the publisher charges $45 and more, but
it is hardly worth the materials it is reproduced on.  That, I believe, is the
shaft spoken of, and in this kind of situation I can sympathize with piracy
for the sole point of EVALUATING the package.  Once you have decided it is
trash you can either delete it, or store it in a dark place to show to others
if they harbor any desire to buy the same package (Precisely waht I used to do
with 'Gauntlet GS' and 'Paperboy GS').

I would like to ask the fervent defenders of law and order (said with a
smile), what do they propose for the various situations outlined by various
international and domestic members of this newsgroup.  Specifically, please
address the issue of scarce to non-existing software availability in foreign
countries (France, Germany, Sweden); the issue of software previews through
piracy; the matter of 'trash' software (remember, most software CAN NOT be
returned once purchased - only returned for exchange or credit.  So, if you
purchase a piece of software and it turns out to be trash, you are still out
of the money in most cases - and demo disks always only show the best of the
programs...)

I mean, we all know that you consider piracy (or whatever you want to call it)
to be the 'most heinous' (to quote Bill & Ted) activity under the sky - but I
fail to see any constructive remarks towards alleviating the problems outlined
above.

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