Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!pro-generic.cts.com!sysop
From: sysop@pro-generic.cts.com (Matthew Montano)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Piracy (again..don't gag)
Message-ID: <8905292356.AA08451@crash.cts.com>
Date: 29 May 89 12:49:20 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: pnet01!pro-simasd!pro-generic!sysop@nosc.mil
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 61


  Changing the price on products won't change much. It might open up the
market less than 5% from the original position. Commodore software is
typically priced $20 less than the same product for the IBM. Test Drive II for
the C64 is $39.99 (cdn) and is $59.99 or $64.99 for the IBM. This is
consistent through retailers pricing and distributors pricing, even though the
entire package might be the same, except for the copy of the disk inside.
Price won't halt the piracy that goes on. In my store, we have from time to
time had a "sale" where all software is say 10% or 20% off (rarely, but it
happens), you don't see people saying to themselves "great, it's cheaper,
let's buy it", it just doesn't work. Sales attract those who are out for a
bargain and in most cases don't know what they are buying (hence the
popularity of Home Shopping Club). Price will not change the piracy problem.

  Quality of the product is a big issue. But since this is under control of
the authors and usually the company releasing the software is full of
pig-heads that don't know the difference between good software and poor
software. The situation is getting better, and improved communication (through
AppleLink and comp.sys.apple) is forcing companies to not release shoddy
products (one of the MAJOR reasons AppleLink exists.. and why Apple released
it when it did!). Only improved feedback to the companies involved will change
things.

  I'll say it again, distribution is the biggest problem. Why steal what you
can get legally for a few dollars? If the legal choice is not availible the
product is likely pirated. There still remains a BIG fear of mail-order houses
and anything through the mail, especially in Canada. I refuse to order
software from a U.S mail order. Sure they say they can send it to you no
problem, and are glad to do so (of course they are, they charge you $15 for
delivery). Ordering two football games from Programs Plus consisted of the
following nightmare: 1) 'product is here' 2) Call from them next day, 'product
is NOT here'. 3) product arrives two weeks later 4) shipped, product total
$70cdn - shipping $15 for overnight delivery 5) arrives the next morning at
the border point in Toronto 6) call from UPS about how much we owe them! 7) It
took 4 days to get it through customs and to our house. It cost almost $95 to
get two games worth about $55 U.S to our place and almost a week or two. Most
of the time it comes through customs without being checked, but not all the
time. I will probably not order from an american mail order house again, I
don't need the headaches (read: profitable business venture in Canada is a
software mail order house).

  Mind you there are two different types of pirates, one being the casual
pirate who in most cases wouldn't buy the product anyways and it sits in his
"shoebox". The other more serious kind is companies who buy one copy and load
it on a zillion machines. There is a firm in Toronto that buys one copy of
Word for Mac and then photocopies the manuals and copies the disks and sells
the new packages for $70. My uncle deals with him.. I don't want to associate
myself with this fellow... it's WRONG and that is the person who is majorly
responsible for piracy in any country. Corporate piracy sure has fallen in
recent years, but still it is the biggest problem in the software market. The
casual pirate is a nuiscence, but it doesn't represent the problem fully. How
many people do you think will buy 10 copies of TOPS for the office, when they
can buy one and modify each copy and give it an unique serial number?

 Improve distribution and availibility of the products and destroy the
pig-headed and ignorant attitudes of the corporate pirates and matter fix.

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