Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ecsvax.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary
From: dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Re: software copying and protection (a personal opinion)
Message-ID: <260@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Aug-85 17:32:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.260
Posted: Thu Aug 15 17:32:42 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Aug-85 04:09:09 EDT
References: <409@brl-tgr.ARPA> <95@duvel.UUCP> <35@intelca.UUCP>
Organization: Duke U Comp Ctr
Lines: 24

> I have yet to meet a single computer owner who would not take a pirated
> program if was offered to him.

I think you're a little naive.  I've been offered and turned down
pirated copies of software on several occasions, usually dispensing a
lecture at the same time (ask anyone who knows me what a pain I am!).

>  I have also not meet many people who have tape decks or VCR who don't have
> illegal copies of records, movies, or cable TV shows. 

There is nothing illegal about taping a record album you own or make a
videotape of a television program.

Other than those two comments, I tend to agree with everything you said.
It's especially noteworthy that you acknowledge that making copying
difficult is a major impediment to piracy, and that one way of doing
this is with a necessary and hard-to-copy manual.  That might discourage
user-friendly software, but perhaps it's better than copy protection
(which nobody likes, even when they understand the justification).
-- 
D Gary Grady
Duke U Comp Center, Durham, NC  27706
(919) 684-3695
USENET:  {seismo,decvax,ihnp4,akgua,etc.}!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary