CompuServe Messages

I agree, mostly. But consider this: Dpaint isn't copy protected. We can readily assume there are many pirated copies of it out there. However, the only reason DPaint prospers is because it owns market share and is highly regarded as an Amiga must-have paint program. It's a standard, now, and sells in sufficient quantity that piracy is irrelevant. EA makes a profit on it, or else it wouldn't keep getting upgraded. But not every newcomer can assume that a competing product will be as successful. So, if you were Digital Creations and trying to make Brilliance the next paint standard, how would you overcome DPaint's lock on the market? Add more features, for one thing. But it's also true that piracy is more advanced today than it was when DPaint arrived to ekk out its niche. I'd like to think Brilliance could survive on solid sales. But what if only one copy sells for every copy or two or three that are ripped off? Brilliance could be "successful" and yet dead in short order. I think there are less annoying alternatives than hardware dongles, such as copy-protect screens that pop up, or key disks. In any case, if I buy a product like Brilliance, it may well be in my interest to see copy protection to the extent that it helps the product survive. Then, there may be a better chance of continued upgrades and tech support. Your point about DCTV's "dongle" being OK in that it enhances a system is well taken. I suppose the Video Toaster could be seen as a similar kind of "good" dongle, along with Opalvision and Opalpaint. Note that DCTV Paint is no longer being upgraded in apparent deference to AGA and Brilliance. My main beef with Digital Creations is that it apparently doesn't intend to offer a DCTV Paint upgrade that's consistent with newer features in Brilliance. I guess the concept is that DCTV Paint is sort of a Brilliance for people without AGA. — Ron Legro, Milwaukee via AUTOPILOT (the only way to fly)