🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <BqCv0r.6Fr@watserv1.waterloo.edu> pwilson@watserv1.waterloo.edu (Pete Wilson) writes:
>In article <1992Jun23.174201.21401@r-node.gts.org> david@r-node.gts.org (Gerald Abshez) writes:
>>it. Many independent computer makers (NOT the biggies) will give away
>>or sell you DOS for a certain price
>
>Small quibble here.  What computer stores will do, if the customer indicates
>an unwillingness to buy DOS with their machine, is to format the hard drive
>and copy over the system files to make the machine bootable.  This does not
>violate any copyright and is not the same as giving the customer DOS.

While I'm not a legal expert, I do agree that many computer dealers do this.
It isn't giving a customer DOS, but is it violation of copyright?

> It has
>always been legal to copy the system files onto a disk to make the disk 
>bootable and back in the days before hard drives it was a common practice.
>I don't know how many people then go and steal the rest of the DOS files,
>but consider the fact that prior to DOS 5.0 the only way you get legally
>get DOS (at least MS or PC DOS) was to buy it with a machine, and draw your 
>own conclusions
>
I'm not a big fan of the way DOS is distributed, but you *could* go back to
your computer seller and purchase the upgrade. However, the dealers that
will give you DOS (and other packages) "without" the manuals isn't just one
or two. Some people think that it is even legal, and that it is the *books*
that cost the money. 

Gerald.