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From: samt@pro-europa.cts.com (Sam Theis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Piracy and a few good questions.
Message-ID: <1465@crash.cts.com>
Date: 13 Feb 90 07:56:10 GMT
Sender: root@crash.cts.com
Lines: 30

In-Reply-To: message from desius@clmqt.marquette.Mi.US

>    When you go down to a friends house and pick up a "bootleg" copy
> of a game, it IS considered piracy. Like most people, I HATE not
> being able to install a game to my Hard Disk or Ram card. BUT, I do
> not go out and get a "HACKED" version of it. If you check with the
> laws of your state, you will discover that most states now REQUIRE
> that a company give you a Nonprotected copy so you can install it to
> your Hard Disk or RAM card. So why risk getting arrested? I'm sure
> that half of the people who read this article will have used a
> pirate BBS at one time to get a piece of software they need. BUT, do
> you know that if you are even caught on a BBS that pirates and you
> know and have not reported it, you can be arrested? I mean, sure, ll
> you're going to get is a slap on the wrist, but why do it at all? The
> simple fact is that pirating, recieving pirated software, or ANYTHING
> like that is ILLEGAL!

If you own a legal copy of a program, the "company" cannot stop you from
un-protecting the program.  It is yours to modify, bend fold spendle or
mutilate in any way you want, you can even make as many copies as you want for
backup purposes.  All of the shrink-wrap-license ballony hasn't had much
success in altering the rights of a customer.  The only restriction that has
really been upheld is that you can not distribute copies of a program to
others.  A company would have a hard time in prosecuting a person that had a
legal copy of a program but obtained a "hacked" copy, a DA would laugh.


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