CompuServe Messages

I'm suprised at your response. I've just quit a job where I helped grow a software (PC-based, admittedly) concern from $0 to $2 million/yr in 3 years. We've done several software upgrades and the have had to deal with similar problems. Even so, you know the old axiom of sales: each happy customer will get you maybe 1 more sale; each mad one will kill 10 sales. What your message tells me is that you can't keep track of your customers. You state that your customers are selling their old version and then upgrading to the new version. And then the "new" owners of the old copy are trying to upgrade that same product. That, as you have stated, is a copyright violation (if you're selling licenses to use your software and not the software itself — I haven't read your license agreement). But, the people you should be punishing are the sellers of their licenses! They sold their right to upgrade and then they conned you out of an upgrade. Cut 'em off at the knees! Refuse support to them…send them a bill…post their names on CSERVE…call the FBI. Get payment from THEM and not the new, legal owners. I'm sure that you know by now that you can't stop piracy. You can make it warm for those who try to live in the grey area though. At my old employ we welcomed each new registration. It was another chance at upgrade money down the line, another name to sell from our database (unless they didn't want to be part of the published list), someone else to pass the good word along. If they were a little "grey", we didn't worry too much — the lost revenue was imaginary (they most likely wouldn't have bought our software in a year anyway) and could actually be considered advertising expense. Well. Didn't expect to mount the soap box. From the little I've seen of your products, I like what I see. I just think y'all reacted a little "off" to a problem that *every* software author has to face.