🚀 go-pugleaf

> There is a level of piracy, let's call it the "Piracy Equilibrium 
> Level."

Thank's Jason. I was going to post a response to that message along 
similar lines, but you were able to explain the concept far better than I
could have managed.

Of course the 'Piracy Equilibrium Level' changes with time. For many 
years the level was very high for the Amiga, hence C= selling millions of 
A500's... Nowdays Amiga piracy is VERY harmful.

But it wasn't the big killer for professional Amiga software though (and 
I know several people here will strongly disagree with this), the big 
killer for professional Amiga software was the magazines giving away 
full-priced products (eg Imagine 2) on their coverdisks.

The whole industry suffered. People will happily put up with an old (but 
functional) Word Processsor rather than buy a new one. Shops refuse to 
stock Amiga software now as they've all had stock that's been made 
worthless once the product appears on a magazine, and people aren't even 
buying new products - waiting instead for the inevitable coverdisk 
release. 

Apart from short-term benefits from upgrade sales to the companies 
offering the free coverdisk program, and to the magazines in increased 
circulation, (and, of course, to the magazine buyer getting a real 
bargain - although unknowingly killing the Amiga market at the same 
time), everyone loses out in the long run as no-one can afford to develop 
a product purely to give away on a magazine. 

Jolyon - Almathera