Peter Popov wrote:

> On Wed, 02 Feb 2000 09:07:52 -0500, "Greg M. Johnson"
> <gre### [at] my-dejanewscom> wrote:
>
> >Can I write you a check for $10 for a legal copy?
>
> Seriously, the availability of warez here is unbelievable. As my
> father (who, aside from FreeCell, only uses software written by my
> brother :) ) says, "Paying $10 for Win98 here when it costs $200 in
> the US is piracy, but why being paid $100 here when you'd be paid
> $2000 in the US is NOT considered piracy?" I totally agree.
>
> I haven't pirated MAX not because of fear of the law or the feeling of
> guilt. Were thesemajor factors here, only a few hundred people in the
> whole country would be using computers. I haven't because of
> principles. Someone once gave me a CDR with MAX on it. I read the
> setup notes and there were things like "Pentium 90 is the vital
> minuimum" (486/80 at the time), "1024x768 in hi-or tru-color"
> (640x480x256 back then), "400 MB free space for installation" (1.2 Gb
> disc) and "Approx. three times more swap than ram, so 300 MB should be
> fine." No, thanks.

    I find the piracy discussion always amusing. Way back when meaning
1980 or so I developed the motto, if it is digital it is mine.

    If you can not pirate something you are a newbie.

    The intelligent companies have always recognized that. In fact even
Adobe has released a free version of Photoshop that excludes the
professional printing functions as the professionals can not afford to be
caught stealing. You have to search for it a bit but anyone buying imaging
software has probably found it for free on some CD they have.

    The other side is that US software is priced in US dollars. For at
least 75% of the world, charging that price means they have to charge the
average Rwandan ten years income for Win98 or the like. They wink when it
benefits them but object for profit.

    The big guys want control of the grey market. They make a big show in
Chine where a normal US suite of software costs a life's wages compared to
local prices for local computers withotu the US markup.

    I am from the era that said software wants to be free which is the
Linux/GNU credo.

    I do not care in the least about these newcomers who think they can
patent a do-loop, which is on the books by the way.

    The most obvious prediction right now about Linux is that it is a
matter of time before one of the big guys clams they own it by force of
litigation. That is the way it has been.

    It is like someone claiming to have invented the chisle and claiming a
sculture is an infringement of rights.

    But to real comparisons. When the US has minimum wage of a bit over $5
an hour and a maximum work week of 40 hours that is $200 or about the list
price of Win98. In other words it costs a minimum of a week's wages. So
tell me, who else can afford it? And why would they pay that much? Most
countries can not.

    But does anyone imagine Microsoft is cutting itself off of 75+% of the
world for US prices? In a pig's eye.


--
The question is not, "Who will let me do it?"
The question is, "Who will stop me?"
Offering an apology is easier than getting permission.

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