From: saj31052@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Scotty A Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: PIRACY
Date: 12 Nov 92 17:14:42 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

I have read many good arguments for and against piracy on this
news group.  Among the good ones for piracy:

	Software is too expensive to simply purchase it before
	testing.  Piracy enables the user to fully test the
	software before committing money.
	
       	Also, the comparison between pirating music is a valid point.

Among the good arguments against piracy:

	(The obvious)  It is illegal, and there are many disadvantages
	to not purchasing the original, such as no manual, no upgrades,
	and eventually if enough people pirate, no software.

Among the BAD arguments for piracy:

	It is expensive, and therefore stupid to buy it.
	This is the same as the "I need it, so I have to steal
	it" argument.

Among the BAD arguments against piracy:

	The assertion that because pirated music is degraded in
	quality, it is "okay" to steal.


This has led me to some simple and logical conclusions:

For one, most people steal copywritten material, be it music,
software, text, etc.  Therefore, most anti-pirate beings are 
hypocritical.
	
Also, the pirate people do not, in general, respect any system
based upon capitalism, and will take it upon themselves to 
determine that they either superior to the non-pirate people in
intellect, or the are inferior in funds.

For myself, I see most of the champions of the pirating and
non-pirating as self righteous pigs.  What is legal does not
have anything to do with what is moral, and indeed is often
opposed to what is moral.  Society dictates what is moral as
it establishes certain norms.  In the music industry, it is 
quickly becoming the case that cd's are outselling other media
becuase they are not totally reproducable.  This coupled with
the fact tham most everyone has an illegal copy of copy written
music indicates that it is moral to steal music, so long as
you are not *phyically* depriving anyone of their goods.

The same is becoming true in software.  I don't know the statistics,
but in my little sampling, 95% (19/20) "own" pirated software
material.  Is it wrong?  Perhaps to your unique values it is, 
but do not spout off about what is moral, when there is no
obligation under my state or any other that I must worship your
god, or share in your beliefs.

I don't *need* software, yet I have have pirated software in my
collection.  I even use it.  Is it worth buying?  Of course!  I
use it, so it is worth buying.  Can I afford to buy it right now?
Sadly no.  Will I buy it when I have more funds?  I often wonder
what the answer to this question is.  I wonder if, no matter, *what*
my disposable income is, I will ever think that I can *afford* 
such things.  I suppose only time will tell.

In the mean time, I hurt nobody, nor do I deprive anyone of
their possessions, nor do I act against any apparant societal
morality.

I am your normal, average, every day pirate.

Scotty AJ
-- 

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Scotty A. Johnson     "The beast with the four foot tail."     Iguana@uiuc.edu
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Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc