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From: elg@killer.UUCP (Eric Green)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: all copy protection
Message-ID: <1153@killer.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 18-Jul-87 02:56:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: killer.1153
Posted: Sat Jul 18 02:56:40 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 19-Jul-87 08:49:59 EDT
References: <606@madvax.UUCP>
Organization: Bayou Telecommunications
Lines: 45

in article <606@madvax.UUCP>, richc@madvax.UUCP (Rich Commins) says:
> I'm not justifing the motives of thieves and pirates, but tring to point
> out that there is no protection for software consumers from the
> thieves that sell shoddy and or broken software to an unsuspecting buyer.
> Has anyone bought software, tried the program and found that it didn't work
> or perform as expected, and try to return it for credit?  No way! 

I often borrow a program from a friend before I buy it. For example, C-Power
128... I was afraid it was going to be a useless toy. Well, it IS a toy, but
it's FAR from useless... so I bought it. Of course, according to The Great Net
God, I'm a sneaking smirking pirate, because I got a copy of Abacus's BASIC-64
and promptly erased it because it sux royally. It's nice knowing a software
dealer personally... those guys are the master of shrink-wrapping! You
wouldn't believe how much of the software in the typical computer store has
been opened, copied, and then re-wrapped....

> I feel shareware is a step in the right direction to break this catch 22.
> Shareware does require that honest people who use the software pay the
> price the author requests, but if the software is useless he just doesn't
> send in the money.  This is not the perfect solution to the problem, but is
> a start to solving the software/pirate problem.

Sad truth: Shareware is an ABYSYMAL failure. Even when the program is used a
lot (like Perry's recoverable RAM disk), you will find VERY few people sending
in any money. For example, the author of one program for the C-64, called
"LYNX", which was VERY widely used (it was the fastest file archiving program
for the C-64, because it took advantage of the linked-list nature of CBM
DOS).... he got $44. That's IT. Or the Gary Label Maker. I use it to make up
very fancy disk labels, with Print Shop graphics, oodles of fonts, etc....
John Gary has gotten lots of mail, from places as far away as Australia and
New Zealand (which he enjoys answering), but he's spent more on replying to
his mail, than he's recieved in donations! (he can't help it, he's just one of
those vanishing breed of "nice guy" who would be aghast at the crudity of not
answering his mail).

Any scheme which which makes the user take an extra step in order to pay the
author is doomed to failure. Let's face it, people are lazy. They'll see that
$15 request on LYNX, and say "hmm, maybe I ought to send that in" and that's
as far as it gets... 

--
Eric Green   elg%usl.CSNET     Ron Headrest: A President
{cbosgd,ihnp4}!killer!elg      for the Electronic Age!
Snail Mail P.O. Box 92191      
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