#CompuS Copyright
07-Oct-86 19:41:07
Sb: #35557-#CompuS Copyright
Fm: MICHAEL DAUGHERTY 70003,3122
To: Don Curtis/SYSOP 76703,4321
This message turned up in search, but its forum couldn’t be identified from the original transcript, so it may not be linked into its thread.
Guys,
Consider this…CompuServe has people, (whom they pay quite a bit) getting
out there into the Amiga World soliciting "freely distributed" software.
CompuServe spends a bunch of money (believe me I know, I work there) trying
to provide state of the art videotext services.
The people you heard were getting sued probably downloaded those data
library files 1)without the author's permission, 2)with full intent of
adding value to their own bulletin boards, and in fact, competing with CIS
using their own data!!!!! Not only is that unethical from a "author's
permission" standpoint, but it is not smart business.
For those of you who want to believe that CIS exists "out of the goodness
of their little videotex heart, for you to exploit and abuse", well, I
guess you don't realize how much work actually goes into the services
provided here on CIS.
I do, I work hard to make the software, and the data available on CIS the
best it can be. Joe Blow's BBS will cost you less in connect charges, and
may even not charge you for downloads, but Joe's service doesn't provide
you with the quality, the extent, and the integrity, that CIS does. I
guarantee that if you download a file from the DL it was originally put
there by someone, who was intending it to be on CIS, not Joe's service.
Besides…if you can read, and you did before you signed your agreement to
receive your CIS number, you will find out that you are restricted in how
you "distribute" materials you receive from CIS. The SYSOP has explained
why that rule exists, and if you are a programmer, you can appreciate the
logic of the rule.