#Hamfests
3 messages in this thread
I attended a Hamfest in the Detriot area recently and was surprised to
discover that not very much Amateur Radio related equipment was available.
However, I did find six different booths set up where the operators were
copying and selling copyrighted programs ranging from Word Perfect
(complete with photocopies of the documentation down to games. I even found
7 MichTron/MicroDeal titles available, including one program that wasn't
released yet! All of these "dealers" were doing a brisk business, with
hundreds of dollars changing hands in a matter of minutes. Since
MichTron/MicroDeal pays my bills, this concerned me. These thieves are
probably selling more copies of our programs than we are! Is it any wonder
that software companies disappear with startling regularity, citing poor
sales? I hope this Hamfest was an exception, but I'd bet it wasn't. I was
rather embarassed to call my self a Ham after seeing that, actually
condoned by the sponsoring group. (One booth even had a sign proclaiming
the owner to be an officer of the Host Radio CLub!) If you are a Ham, and
go to Hamfests where such activity takes place, please take a minute to
explain to the club officers that a crime is in progress, and express your
displeasure. <George>
I am the president of the Amiga-Dayton Users group. Last Saturday, at the
Dayton, Ohio Hamvention I saw a couple of kids, condoned by their parents,
selling products including DPaintIII for $5 a disk. It took me over an hour
to get the authorities on these kids. By the time they got there it was too
late, they were 80% packed up to go home. They did give the kid a stern
lecture, but without proof, they couldn't do anything. Needless to say,
these kids also had a SX-64 and were pirating that software, too. I say CBM
has brought about much of this stuff by making the A500 a low end game
machine. I left feeling sick that thats what the Amiga has come down to.
BTW, I heard he was back on Sunday, but was only selling 'Public Domain'
software.
I dunno how things are going there in the US, but I can tell you that here
in Italy sell much more program copies than software houses do.
UNFORTUNATELY. – Mario