Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think!mintaka!bloom-beacon!eru!luth!sunic!mcsun!hp4nl!fwi.uva.nl!freek
From: freek@fwi.uva.nl (Freek Wiedijk)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Morality/legality of PATCHING crippleware/demoware
Message-ID: <460@fwi.uva.nl>
Date: 23 Feb 90 22:43:12 GMT
Sender: news@fwi.uva.nl
Reply-To: freek@fwi.uva.nl (Freek Wiedijk)
Organization: Faculteit Wiskunde & Informatica, Universiteit van Amsterdam
Lines: 31
X-Dragon: Orm Embar

Suppose I have a crippled demo.  Suppose that demo is widespread
(present in sumex-aim.stanford.edu:info-mac/demo, posted to
comp.binaries.mac, etc.) and contains notices like "give this program
to all your friends".  Suppose also that it does *not* contain any
notices like "you should not modify this program in any way".

Now, using TMON and Nosy, I find a patch that restores the program to
its full glory.  I can then do several things.  What options are
moral?  What are legal?

(i)     I can proudly remove everything that has anything to do with
	the program from my disks (this *is* what I did :-)), and
	forget all about it...
(ii)    I can keep the program for my own use, but tell nobody about
	it.
(iii)   I can post to the world that it is *possible* to patch the
	demo, but *not* how to do it.
(iv)    I can post to the world, but *only* the patch.
(v)	I can post the patched program.
(vi)    I can blackmail the company that wrote the program... :-)

The problem is that since these patches are so easy to find, the
temptation to do such things is irresistible... :-)

Now, the price question is: Which program am I refering to, and what is
the patch? :-)

Cheers,
--
Freek "the Pistol Major" Wiedijk                  Path: uunet!fwi.uva.nl!freek
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