¨? Michael Lutz wrote to Kalman Daniel on 19 May 97  17:24:00
Good day !
 KD>The difference is, that if you steal a TV, someone won't have it.  If you 
co
 KD>a software, noone looses anything.
 ML> They lose their potential profits.
Potential.  That's the key word.  So if I can prove that I wouldn't buy the
program anyway, there is no potential profit.  How can I prove it ?  By
erasing it if I don't like it after a trial period.  Can they prove that I
have run that program at least once ?
 
 KD> KD>But if I try a software (which is illegal with market releases now)
 KD> ML> A lot of companies offer demo programs.
 KD>Some do, some don't.
 ML> Most do, a few don't. Name one of the better companies who don't.
Have you seen any Microsoft OS or OFFICE in a working DEMO ?  Probably you
have seen demos, but they were very different from the actual product.  If
they were not, they would be called beta-test versions or evaluation copies.
 
 KD> Do you real commit a crime if you erase it in say, an hour ?
 ML> That would be fine but the fact is most people wouldn't delete unless
 ML> they didn't like it.
True, but why punish the others ?
 
 KD>You buy everything you use ?
 ML> Are you refering to software? In that case yes.
Sad. I mean, there are a some programs I have to use but I don't like at all,
so I don't want to support the author by paying for them.
 KD>I'm only saying that this trial should be free, and not considered a 
crime.
 KD>If they keep it, they do commit a crime.
 ML> But there is no way to enforce. Give me a way they could enforce it.
Say, I'd like to try out Office 97, and not a demo but the real stuff.  Why
don't they let me try it at home if I sign an agreement so that they have the
right to check my PC to see if I really erased it.  They could punish me so
much if I they found it, that it wouldn't worth.
Or:  if they catch someone with pirate stuff, tell him to pay for it or erase
it.  If they find the same stuff next time without payment, make him pay for
all the stuff that was illegal on his computer.  They could do this simply
with companies, and I don't think people's private life should be bothered
with copyright issues.  It's like photocopying a page from a book in the
library... it would funny if they charged for that saying the book was
copyrighted.
Logoff...
                                          SM_aRT
... If I'm so wrong, why can't you prove it?
--- OMX/Blue Wave/386 v2.30
---------------