Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/3/84; site sesame.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!talcott!sesame!slerner From: slerner@sesame.UUCP (Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner) Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: software copying and protection (a personal opinion) Message-ID: <268@sesame.UUCP> Date: Sun, 11-Aug-85 22:33:26 EDT Article-I.D.: sesame.268 Posted: Sun Aug 11 22:33:26 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 14-Aug-85 03:24:32 EDT References: <409@brl-tgr.ARPA> <95@duvel.UUCP> <35@intelca.UUCP> Organization: Lotus Development Corp Lines: 43 Cliff Purkiser writes: >... > Finally, and most important I want a money-back guarantee. If I buy, a > kitchen appliance , a pair of pants, a set of Ginju knives advertised on TV, > or almost anything else in America and I don't like it I can take it back > and get my money back. Why can't I do this for software? > > I believe that money-back guarantee are rare in software for several reasons. > Software houses, don't have faith in their products, they are too greedy, > and finally they are afraid that people will buy it, copy it, and return it. > I left my flame-thrower at the office, so this will have to do: I won't argue about the greed issue mentioned above, except to note that low price software (<<$100) is being ripped of at the same rate as more expensive software. In regards to the trust issue, given the ease of copying disks, do you really expect to get your money back once you have broken the seal? Give the vendor a secure enough system that he doesn't have to fear being robbed (like the ADAPSO key/keyring system :-) and you will see software returns/rentals/trials etc being accepted by many vendors. You may even see disks being given away (!!), but they will either only run in a demo mode or be partially disabled until you buy a key to unlock it. (CD ROM makers - are you listening?) I'll make you a deal, you give me your mastercard and i'll give you my disk...i'll give you back your card, and you'll ignore the ink impression marks, and i'll ignore the broken disk seal :-> -- Opinions expressed are public domain, and do not belong to Lotus Development Corp. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner {genrad|ihnp4|ima}!wjh12!talcott!sesame!slerner {cbosgd|harvard}!talcott!sesame!slerner slerner%sesame@harvard.ARPA