clubmac@runxtsa.runx.oz.au (Club Mac, Australia's Largest Mac Users Group) (06/26/90)
In article <1001@ashton.UUCP> jimvons@ashton.UUCP (Jim von Schmacht) writes: >This type of mentality perpetuates piracy. If more than one person needs to >use the piece of software in question the solution is simply to shuttle the >h-ware lock around to those who need it. If, however, it is required that >more than one person use it the solution is equally simple: buy more than >one copy, which also invalidates your argument against the h-ware lock >once again. If you violate the liscense agreement which came with the >product, they have every right to A) repossess their property (the product), >and B) sue your socks off... > >Try it one more time, this time with feeling... This type of mentality perpetuates deceit. If a piece of software comes with a hardware lock, DON'T BUY THE SOFTWARE! The ADB ports on my keyboard are only intended for input devices, not for some hardware lock designed to keep some moronic marketing suit happy. You'll simply give Macintosh hackers another source of income, by writing programs to patch the software to bypass the hardware lock. Haven't you heard of the "dog chasing its tail"? This is analogous to the situation of copy protection and piracy. The only thing the license agreement that accompanies software is good for is testing the eyesight of drivers license applicants.... And where do you get off threatening people with your corporate bullying? Just because some software publisher's annual legal costs exceed the budgets of most Central American governments doesn't mean they can threaten your potential customers with legal action. Mark my words, in a few years, if any publisher pushes software out onto the market too early, before adequate beta and gamma testing, and that software crashes some small business's hard disk, with all his documents lost, that publisher is going to be spending more money on legal fees than they ever lost to the occasional pirate copy that is truly used to the extent that product was designed and written for. Class suits from dissatisfied customers is the next step. Bottom line: Don't buy copy protected software, if you can avoid it. They'll soon get the message. Jason Haines - 'Non-suiter'