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From: scotty@l5comp.UUCP (Scott Turner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Copy protection: boycott it!
Message-ID: <291@l5comp.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Jul-87 00:05:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: l5comp.291
Posted: Fri Jul 10 00:05:13 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 12-Jul-87 13:55:12 EDT
References: <4826@sgi.SGI.COM> <4238@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: scotty@l5comp.UUCP (Scott Turner)
Organization: L5 Computing, Edmonds, WA
Lines: 54
Summary: Here we go again.

In article <2374@hoptoad.uucp> farren@hoptoad.UUCP (Mike Farren) writes:
>I would like to see real data which indicates that this is the case.
>So far, all I've seen are suppositions and self-serving statements
>from companies on both sides of the copy-protection fence.  My

I've personally taken to calling these schemes that companies cookup
"User Traps" rather than copy protection. Because they certainly DO NOT prevent
copying, and they certainly can supply users with surprises much like sticking
ones hands under the sofa and finding that missing mouse trap, still set and
waiting just for you. :)

I also think they should be outlawed. Much like man traps are outlawed. And for
the same reason, they will more often hurt innocent people than their intended
targets. Today the pirates are so sophisticated that they can EASILY side step
any traps laid for them. They aren't the ones being stopped, but rather the
innocent user. I can find ANY NUMBER of users who have been caught by user
traps at one time or another, but I'd be hard pressed to come up with anything
that has stopped pirates dead.

How much longer can we allow these companies to injure innocent users as they
fumble around trying to stop the pirates?

How much longer can software companies dodge being sued over an episode with a
user trap? Most companies duck liability as a matter of course for protection
against "bugs". But what court would let them duck liability for something
that was INTENTIONAL?

And how much longer will it be before someone DIES over a user trap? comp.risks
has been fascinating to me in this regard, I keep an eye peeled. I can just
imagine some poor user using oh say a book keeping package that uses a dongle
and having the "boss" drop by one morning with the "gang" and demand to see
the books. And the boss crush the dongle as he stomps in (ANYTHING can fall
on the floor :) and when the user can't produce the books the boss orders him
tossed in the river with some nice cement booties. Moral, if you use user
trapped software make sure the boss is forgiving. :-)

But user traps are a symptom of a problem, not the real problem. Emotions have
run high and egos put on the line. Maginot lines have been built and then over
run. New technology has been introduced and the tables stakes have increased.
Programmers don't plant user traps for free, they cost $$$. Lots of time and
money are being spent to cause human suffering, when if we would all just
cooperate none of it would be needed. Sound familiar? Yes, it's "normal"
human warfare as usual just in the software arena.

Getting back to the original message, even if hard data was produced I doubt it
would make any difference at this point. What will make a difference is making
people stop and take a look at what they are doing to their fellow humans. ON
BOTH sides of the "fence".

Scott Turner
-- 
UUCP-stick: stride!l5comp!scotty | If you want to injure my goldfish just make
UUCP-auto: scotty@l5comp.UUCP    | sure I don't run up a vet bill.
GEnie: JST			 | "The bombs drop in 5 minutes" R. Reagan
		Disclaimer? I own L5 Computing. Isn't that enough?