Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!m2c!wpi!tmurphy
From: tmurphy@wpi.wpi.edu (Tom [Chris] Murphy)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Piracy...$2/shaft
Message-ID: <2435@wpi.wpi.edu>
Date: 25 May 89 13:41:34 GMT
References: <8905240736.AA18683@crash.cts.com>
Reply-To: tmurphy@wpi.wpi.edu (Tom [Chris] Murphy)
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute CAD Lab
Lines: 28

In article <8905240736.AA18683@crash.cts.com> pnet01!pro-sol!pro-nucleus!hzink@nosc.mil writes:
>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 don't see any ethical problem about using a copy of a program for evaluation
purposes, assuming that everyone is honest enough to destroy the copy when
finished.  However, the idea of crippled programs (such as Microsoft's
Excel demo) is a better idea.  The program is freely copyable, has all the
features of the original except for a limited spreadsheet size.

As far as the limited availability problem, well it's too bad but not any
excuse for theift.  There are lots of things I'd like but can't get access
to or afford, but I don't have any right to steal them.

Tom


-- 
Thomas C. Murphy         Worcester Polytechnic Institute CAD Lab
Internet:   tmurphy@zaphod.wpi.edu       tmurphy@wpi.wpi.edu
BITNET:     TMURPHY@WPI    BIX:  tmurphy    CompuServe: 73766,130
      -- Guns don't kill people, people kill people - with guns. --