Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!pyrdc!netxcom!ewiles
From: ewiles@netxcom.UUCP (Edwin Wiles)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: sampling software (was: lotus chairman makes 26 million)
Message-ID: <818@netxcom.UUCP>
Date: 8 May 88 17:19:31 GMT
References: <9160@cisunx.UUCP> <1801@uhccux.UUCP> <807@netxcom.UUCP> <9360@cisunx.UUCP> <810@netxcom.UUCP> <9463@cisunx.UUCP> <319@mipseast.mips.COM>
Reply-To: ewiles@netxcom.UUCP (Edwin Wiles)
Organization: NetExpress Communications, Inc., Vienna, VA
Lines: 39

In article <319@mipseast.mips.COM> rogerk@mipseast.mips.COM (Roger B.A. Klorese) writes:
>>In article <810@netxcom.UUCP> ewiles@netxcom.UUCP (Edwin Wiles) writes:
>>>When I came to a
>>>final decision, which would take some time, I WOULD purchase one of them.
>>>The others would be destroyed.
>>>Is this a 'justifiable' usage of 'copied' software?
>>>Or am I asking for a lawsuit?
>
>When you buy a car, you can [read] all the rags, read the documentation,
>test-drive it... but you can't take three or four of them home for a month
>or so until you decide which one you want, then give the others back...

That is a practical consideration, not a moral or ethical one.  If I take
a car home, I not only have to find space to park it, but I'm denying
anyone else the oportunity to purchase that particular car.  If I were to
make a copy of a peice of sofware, the 'original' is still there for someone
else (who can make up their mind quicker than me) to purchase.

If I could get around the practical considerations, I would want that much
time to try out various cars.  Since I can't, I do the best I can from
second and third hand reports.  (news articles, friends, etc...)  However,
I COULD try out software without hurting anyone for several months, and thus
have first hand experience to make up my mind.  If I can get it, I
infinitely prefer first hand experience.

An interesting idea!  I wonder what software would cost, if instead of
receiving a shrink wraped package,  you simply went to the dealer with
your own disks and copied what you wanted!  (Paying for it of course...)
You would receive all the documentation as usual, but would provide your
own disks and copying service.  Would that reduce the price any?  The
company would no longer have to pay for shrink wraping and packaging.  Only
for documentation duplication.  That should be a significant savings...

					Later!
-- 
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