Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 beta 3/9/83; site mot.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!hao!seismo!ut-sally!oakhill!mot!edski From: edski@mot.UUCP (Ed Skinner) Newsgroups: net.general Subject: Piracy and Programming Message-ID: <34@mot.UUCP> Date: Thu, 29-Nov-84 14:35:02 EST Article-I.D.: mot.34 Posted: Thu Nov 29 14:35:02 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 8-Dec-84 06:03:22 EST Organization: Motorola Microsystems, Phoenix AZ Lines: 25 The recent case of a major company being taken to court concerning the illegal copying of software packages by employees caused me to consider the long-term consequences. As more and more instances like this occur, companies will try harder and harder to prevent their employees from making illegal copies. However, considering the ease of copying (in most cases), the rapidly growing use of "personal computers," and the high cost of (some) software, it will be extremely difficult to prevent illegal copying. At best, purchases of a sophisticated (read "high priced") program will be rare, and access to it will be tightly controlled: The more expensive the software, the higher the temptation for pirating, and therefore the higher the "risk". The time will come when a company purchase of a $5000.00 package will be next to impossible. Only the inexpensive packages will be purchased - those which a departmental budget will allow "n" copies to be bought. The expensive programs simply won't be bought, the "risk" will be too great. In turn, the development of low-volume, high-cost software will cease. Only high-volume, low-cost products will be developed. This will require new levels of development efficiency to be found. The market for software writers will begin to shrink unless this happens, and soon! Those that learn to turn out high quality products with minimum expense will profit. Those that expend man-years of effort won't. Software writers beware - The hand-writing is on the wall! (These are my thoughts, and not necessarily those of my company.)