jopsy@naucse.UUCP (JO.hn P.hillip C.rane) (02/11/90)
Sigh. This debate is getting old.
Think about it, there will never be a law saying that you MUST pay
for something that was given to you without prior contractual arrangement.
Why? How on could you enforce it? When you submit something, and it
propogates around the country, how are you going to trace down who's using
it and who isn't? It's impossible. Even if you do have some sort of sneaky
tattle tail code that mails you from the 'ungracious user's account, saying
that this person is using your program without paying for it, what can you do?
Payment first. The only way. A large number of us are connected to
telnet, right? If you're that worried about being paid for your program,
put it up for display. Publicize your program's address and port number.
Initially, people may be reluctant to browse though programs they know
they might end up paying for, but it'll catch on. If and when someone wants
to obtain a copy of your program for their own site, they let you
know, you provide the contract, they provide the money, and voila! You're
paid! People who like your programs buy them. People who don't, have the
chance to try the program out before spending money on them. Simple.
Is Liscencing programs over telnet unethical? Is it against the
law? What's the difference between that and demanding money after the
other guy has received and used your program? You can't enforce the latter,
does that make it ethical or legal? You can enforce the former though.
So which is it? Is it wrong to be paid for anything through this medium?
If it is what a pity. We might see some truely magnificent code come through
if people thought they might actually get something in return for it.
--
-+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+-
reply to: ....!arizona!naucse!jopsy
or: CRANE@NAUVAX
-+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- -+#+- sean@ms.uky.edu (Sean Casey) (02/13/90)
jopsy@naucse.UUCP (JO.hn P.hillip C.rane) writes: | Is Liscencing programs over telnet unethical? Is it against the |law? I don't know for sure, but I have been told that direct commercial use of the Internet is against the rules. Sean -- *** Sean Casey sean@ms.uky.edu, sean@ukma.bitnet, ukma!sean *** "May I take this opportunity of emphasizing that there is no cannibalism *** in the British Navy. Absolutely none, and when I say none, I mean there *** is a certain amount, more than we are prepared to admit." -MP