Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!UCONNVM.BITNET!SEWALL
From: SEWALL@UCONNVM.BITNET (Murph Sewall)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: RE: S.198
Message-ID: <8905260956.aa01092@SMOKE.BRL.MIL>
Date: 26 May 89 14:47:20 GMT
References: <davidbrierley@LYNX.NORTHEASTERN.EDU>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 39

>     A copy of S.198 (previously referred to on Info-Apple) has been
>posted here.  The bill mentions that libraries and other non-profit
>organizations may lend materials.  Public domain software and shareware
>are, by definition, not affected by this proposed legislation.  The real
>problem of this legislation is that people who are considering buying a
>package cannot legally try it out on their own first.  Furthermore,
>people who have compatible-model computers won't always know if a new
>software release will run on their machine; as many software publishers
>do not test their products on clones and clone manufacturers can't possibly
>test all software on their machines.

<Thank goodness $1.25 a movie rentals aren't affected ;-) >

Numerous publishers send our (non-profit) computer club demonstration copies
of all sorts of software.  Software vendors DO want to sell their products.
Perhaps, a consequence of the legislation would be even more demo programs
(even game demos which feature only one level of a multilevel game are
possible).

BTW Marketers often get awfully excited about one legislative bill (state
as well as federal) or another.  Some of us earn a modest second income
doing market studies detailing all the horrid (or at least inconvenient)
consequences that one or another proposed act could bring.  Most (more than
99%?) of these bills never make it out of committee.

Thousands of bills are introduced in the Congress every session that are
going absolutely nowhere (but your Congressperson gets to make speeches
saying "My distinguished colleague Senator Farquart and I have introduced
a bill that will solve all the World's problems... <so if only you'll
re-elect me we'll all live happily ever after :-> ).

Murph Sewall                       Vaporware? ---> [Gary Larson returns 1/1/90]
Prof. of Marketing     Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET
Business School        sewall%uconnvm.bitnet@mitvma.mit.edu          [INTERNET]
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