Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!pro-simasd.cts.com!lbotez From: lbotez@pro-simasd.cts.com (Lynda Botez) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Software piracy (that old doggy) Message-ID: <8906060718.AA29868@crash.cts.com> Date: 6 Jun 89 04:27:36 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: pnet01!pro-simasd!lbotez@nosc.mil Organization: The Internet Lines: 71 It's pretty slow around here (and elsewhere)... so why not continue this slightly dull and oft repeated debate on piracy? >Let's compare criminal acts to criminal acts, not fruit to fruit. -:) Okay. How about Apples to Nexts? -:) Nah... let's be boring... The film makers instigate this themselves... by allowing their programs to be shown on every tom, dick and harry television and cable channel. They invite themselves to be copied. As long as there is some signal being emitted over the airwaves (or cable)... there will be people copying programs [and, BTW, these programs cost a hell of a lot more to produce than any software]. Video piracy has been around as long as there have been VCRs. And I doubt there are very few people out there on this network that consider VCR taping a CRIME! Okay, all you video thieves, did you know that YOU are a criminal?). >[Jewelry] ... but not as useful as software, or as hard to debug. Well, I can't argue with you there... but there are those who would disagree. >Are you a Pink Panther fan, by any chance? Nope... the only thing I know about him is his theme song and his appearances in all those Inspector Clousseau film credits... Was he a kleptomaniac? >This isn't terribly relavent to the discussion, but I have never claimed >sainthood. I have a good but not perfect history. I don't think it's okay >to violate copyrights. And I hardly ever misspell "copyright" as >"copywrite". Whoa! Dave Lyons, Apple Computer Inc. employee [I know, you don't speak for your employer] admits to having been enticed by the evil lull of pirated software at one time or another in his mysterious past. Good. He is NOT (as previously surmised) the "paragon of virtue" that we all thought he was. -:) Seondly, I may not know how to spell "copyright"... but you sure as hell can't spell "relevant". Oh, well. (Shame on you for resorting to spelling errors to make your point!) >One thing that's interesting is that often the latest versions of software >show up on the pirate boards months before you can actually purchase it. I'm >still waiting for "Hyperstudio" (which I ordered from Tech Alliance a while >back); it's been out for over a month through the illegal channels... >That's interesting. Roger had stacks and stacks of them at AppleFest Boston. >It sold pretty well. If you got your copy illegally, it is probably >considerably buggier than the current version. Yeah, I saw Roger there selling all those buggy versions of Hyperstudio at Applefest. Actually, Roger is a great guy... and I really like his software. Too bad he was selling BETA versions of Hyperstudio at the 'Fest. As a matter of fact, I saw him demonstate Hyperstudio at a user group a month before the 'Fest, and he didn't even have a completed stack to show... just bits and pieces. And then there he was selling a 2/3 completed hypermedia package... Well, I don't PAY to be a beta tester, I'll wait until it's completed, thank you. But I will buy it. I will continue to buy all software that I use. Good software must be supported. [Actually, I was #251 on the list at Tech- Alliance, so it looks like Roger will do well with this ware.] However, another example is Dungeon Master GS. It took Egghead two months to get that one in their stores (Software Etc. was just as bad). And I live in LA, not Padooka! Dungeon Master is probably the best game I've seen for the GS. And we need all the games we can get! I'm not justifying software pirating, I'm just trying to explain some of the reasons people do it. Some do it for "collecting". Some do it for "previewing". Some do it for "fun" and the challenge. Some are outright thieves and do it so they can get something for nothing. Lynda "You'll pay to know what you really think"