frans@duvel.UUCP (Frans Meulenbroeks) (12/09/85)
[followup to net.micro]
Last summer there was a lot of discussion concerning software protection.
I seem to recall that a lot of people advocated that software should be
treated just like a book. Therefore, it shouldn't be used on two different
places in the same time period.
My questions:
- should this allow people to set up a central pool of software
(like a company library)
- should people get a replacement disk, when theirs is destroyed after
a year or so of operation. You won't get a new book after a year or
so, when it "breaks" and it is not a production failure (but for instance
due to heavy use)
- Am I allowed to exchange software with someone else, provided that I
give him all backups (if existing), the original, and the documentation?
Or should I keep for instance a compiler as long as I use the objects
produced by it?
What with games, can I swap a solved adventure with someone else,
provided that I keep no copy of my own?
--
Frans Meulenbroeks, Philips Microprocessor Development Systems
...!{seismo|philabs|decvax}!mcvax!philmds!fransmagik@chinet.UUCP (Ben Liberman) (12/12/85)
{}
In article <139@duvel.UUCP> you write:
>
>Last summer there was a lot of discussion concerning software protection.
>I seem to recall that a lot of people advocated that software should be
>treated just like a book. Therefore, it shouldn't be used on two different
>places in the same time period.
>
And then you follow with some questions that are the logical conclusions of
following out the book analogy BUT software is not in any sense like a book.
I think we might get farther by looking at books the way software IS and see
how our thinking about books would have to change. This is really a new beast
and is probably more closely related to some of the issues in music rights.
What would books be like if we could reproduce them in our home by dropping
them in the slot of some machine that we were already using around the home or
workplace? How would the publishing industry change? (they would probably go
for some legislative remedy though reality doesn't obey the law....I think it
works much better the other way around :-)
-----------------------------------------
Ben Liberman ihnp4!chinet!magik
--
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Ben Liberman ihnp4!chinet!magikjohnbl@tekig5.UUCP (John Blankenagel) (12/12/85)
> Last summer there was a lot of discussion concerning software protection. > I seem to recall that a lot of people advocated that software should be > treated just like a book. Therefore, it shouldn't be used on two different > places in the same time period. > > My questions: > - should this allow people to set up a central pool of software > (like a company library) > - should people get a replacement disk, when theirs is destroyed after > a year or so of operation. You won't get a new book after a year or > so, when it "breaks" and it is not a production failure (but for instance > due to heavy use) > - Am I allowed to exchange software with someone else, provided that I > give him all backups (if existing), the original, and the documentation? > Or should I keep for instance a compiler as long as I use the objects > produced by it? > What with games, can I swap a solved adventure with someone else, > provided that I keep no copy of my own? Am I allowed to copy part of a disk as long as I don't copy the whole thing? (such is the cas with books as I understand it).
hes@ecsvax.UUCP (Henry Schaffer) (12/16/85)
> > Last summer there was a lot of discussion concerning software protection. > > My questions: > > - should this allow people to set up a central pool of software > > (like a company library) Copyright law would seem to allow this - but people would have to check out a copy by removing that from the library. > > - should people get a replacement disk, when theirs is destroyed after > > a year or so of operation. You won't get a new book after a year or > > so, when it "breaks" and it is not a production failure (but for instance This doesn't seem to have any relation to copyright, but rather to company policy/purchase agreement. > > due to heavy use) > > - Am I allowed to exchange software with someone else, provided that I > > give him all backups (if existing), the original, and the documentation? > > Or should I keep for instance a compiler as long as I use the objects > > produced by it? > > What with games, can I swap a solved adventure with someone else, Again, copyright law would seem to allow this. The purchase agreement/software license may or may not allow this. > > Am I allowed to copy part of a disk as long as I don't copy the whole thing? > (such is the cas with books as I understand it). Under copyright law (as I understand it) the concept of "fair use" allows you to copy a part of a copyrighted work under certain restrictions. One of them is that you don't copy a subtantial portion, and that the copied portion doesn't reduce the market for the copyrighted work. This appears to rule out copying an entire computer program. (It would seem to allow copying a part of a copyrighted program because you wanted to use it as an example for a university course your were teaching on software engineering. --henry schaffer Disclaimer: do not construe the above as advice, legal or otherwise.