#SW Copy Protection
8 messages in this thread
I would respond to each situation accoring to its own merits. Certainly we all
know where Bernard Goetz drew his line… And that was wrong.
-Greg
Bernard Goetz… isn't that the "subway" fellow? If so, I would amend your
statement to _you_ think it was wrong. _I_ don't. If you see stolen property,
and are _positive_ it is stolen property, then as far as I am concerned, you
have a duty to report it. I don't see _any_ difference between you spotting the
bastard who stole my motorcycle and someone who steals my software. I don't
really understand how anyone else could see a difference either, unless they
were truly ethical morons. –Ben–
Of course it someone stole _MY_ software then I'd be inclined to do something
about it. But if it was the other fella's software….. <GRIN>
OK. The government of New York thought Goetz was wrong, many thousands
elsewhere thought he was wrong and I thought he was wrong. If you are gonna
shoot somebody, you don't wait 'till they have turned their backs.
Unless your motorcycle is customized then how would I know it from a million
other motorcycles of the same make? If I accused each and every person I see
with a motorcycle similar to yours of stealing it, some Goetz-type may just get
ticked off and blow me away. And perhaps rightfully so. I would have had no
business harassing these people. If I personally see that bastard steal your
motorcycle then I might take action. At least get a description of the person
doing it — and report it to police.
Software theft is a totally different argument because the damaged party is a
third person. It's non-violent. The author and software companies don't even
know that a specific crime has occurred. A certain amount can be anticipated. I
recommend that software companies and distributors make the retailers go to the
club meetings to monitor the club's copying activities and to bring legal
action if needed. They can also get a sales pitch in, so they should have no
complaint.
As far as the club is concerned, we have an anti-theft policy in effect. We
enforce that by turning off people's machines (after a warning) who use
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Marauder during the meeting. We do this for the club's protection, not the
software author's. The club's rules do not extend beyond meetings and organized
public events. So what is done away from the meeting is not of any concern to
the club, as it's liability is over.
I truly feel sorry for you and other software authors that software theft is
hurting you. If everyone had your ethics then this would be a non-issue,
wouldn't it? Putting up a paper bag argument and then using it to draw
conclusions about others is not a way of convincing people to take your side of
an issue.
-Greg
I think your last paragraph was totally off base, in all ways, so I'll ignore
it. As far as my bike goes, it's quite identifiable – there weren't millions
like it, it was customized – highly so – and of course has vid #s in all the
right places. And a bike w/o vid #s needs to be reported too. As for you only
reporting your software – well, I don't even need to say anything here. –Ben–
Ben, I'm sure you would get sick of getting 15 phone calls a day from people
saying "Yeah, Hi, Ben, lissen, I just saw Joe Schmoe using an illicit copy of
PCLOjr. Fly down here and nuke him, OK?"
…Steve
Steve,
You don't know Ben then. 8)
Gee, when he was here, he almost depleted my supply of small nukes. I suspect
he could handle 20 days worth of phone calls with just what he left here.