🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <2847@bruce.cs.monash.OZ.AU> alanf@bruce.cs.monash.OZ.AU (Alan Grant Finlay) writes:
#In article <Aug.7.15.00.09.1990.12840@dimacs.rutgers.edu>, srm@dimacs.rutgers.edu (Scott R. Myers) writes:
#The real problem with the software industry is distribution.  "The Lord of the
#Rings" took J.R.R Tolkien 20 years (part time) to write.  I can buy the book
#for about $30, paperback.  Software of this standard costs thousands of dollars
#and has conditions attached analogous to the purchaser being able to read
#the book once only or pay a rereading fee.  Also we have libraries for those
#too poor to buy books.  I know software writers have to be paid, but the current
#system is just not cost effective.  There must be a better way!  We don't

In the case of a book, one can loan the book to a friend who can read it 
without buying it.  We can also loan CD's and tapes to friends, or even tape
music and TV shows off the air for free.  

If you loan software to a friend, it is said to be illegal, and if you down-
load software, you are supposed to pay a registration fee.  This is analogous
to saying that you cannot loan books, or CD's to friends, and if you tape
stuff from the radio or TV, you have to send in money to the copyright owner.

If this doesn't make sense for copyrighted books, music, and TV shows, it
also doesn't make sense for computer software, either.

Just my opinion.

-- 
    Al Shing (ashing@cac.washington.edu)