Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!bu-cs!purdue!decwrl!sun!imagen!atari!portal!cup.portal.com!FelineGrace
From: FelineGrace@cup.portal.com (Dana B Bourgeois)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Software Development And Piracy (Spurred By FTL replies)
Message-ID: <12325@cup.portal.com>
Date: 8 Dec 88 08:13:24 GMT
References: <555@icus.islp.ny.us>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 27

Eric Hyman lists 5 classes of pirates. (I won't list them here 'cause I don't
remember what they all are).  I maintain that his #2 is NOT a pirate.  Now 
maybe the current thinking in our judicial system would not agree with me but 
I HAVE been the recipient of copied commercial software, both games, languages
and utillities.  The ones I liked I PURCHASED.  All disks have been wiped of
the bootleg copies-I can make my OWN backups, thank you-and I can honestly say
that NO DEVELOPER OR DISTRIBUTOR OR DEALER HAS BEEN HARMED BY THESE OCCURANCES
IN ANY WAY.  My definition of a pirate is one who harms another financially by
using or distributing illegal copies which are used IN LIEU OF legally 
purchased copies.  Am I a pirate now?  No! All software I currently have has
been purchased by me and paid for.  Was I a pirate in the past?  I don't think
so, but others might.  Would I do this again?  You bet!  I want to know that I
can really USE that $40 package(or $400 package) before I buy it.  If I can't
make a successful copy, I sure can't make a backup now can I?  That alone kill
s my interest.  I plan on developing software myself so I am VERY sensitive to
this issue.  (My son is the one who got ahold of the games and he's very un-
happy with me for wiping them.  But he admitted they weren't good enough for 
him to part with the purchase price so OUT THEY WENT).  Eric, if you want to 
flame me go ahead but roasting my hide won't change my opinion.  And believe 
me when I say I hope that the real pirates, (those that hurt you financially),
have severe legal problems in the very near future and that you receive the 
money due you plus damages.

	^ ^
	o o
Feline = . = Grace
	 v               It's just a buncha 1's and 0's.  What's the problem?