From: harrison@lclark.edu (Mark Harrison)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games,rec.games.misc
Subject: Re: Most Wanted Cracks List
Date: 21 Jul 92 17:56:07 GMT
Article-I.D.: lclark.1992Jul21.175607.15283
Organization: Lewis & Clark College, Portland OR

In article <1992Jul21.162941.17477@engage.pko.dec.com> marshall@tfh.enet.dec.com (Hunting the Snark) writes:
>
>In article <54634@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, adam@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Adam) writes...
>>In article <1992Jul21.051200.17195@engage.pko.dec.com> marshall@tfh.enet.dec.com (Hunting the Snark) writes:
>>>
>>>In article <54571@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, adam@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Adam) writes...
>>>>I'm sure that isn't what he meant.  The example he was using was one of a
>>>>few friends sharing the cost of the game and ALL running copies of it.
>>>>Yes, this is illegal, ...
>>>> 
>>>I am still quite unclear what the distinction being made here is. If say four
>>>people chip in to buy a game, does it really matter whether they play it
>>>serially or in parallel? It is still 4 people playing off one purchased copy.
>>>I think that it is just plain silly to say that if they wait their turn its
>>>okay but if they all fire it up at the same time it's illegal.(think of it as
>>>timeshifting).
>> 
>>Ok, look, it's simple.  "Silly" or not, it's the law:  
>
>A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds. There is also the 
>concept of the "letter of the law" and "the spirit of the law". At time
>A one copy of program X is purchased. at time B, program X has been played
>on three machines by three different people and then deleted. If the issue
>of piracy is lost revenue, then what difference does it make what the details
>of the events between time A and B are. The net effect is the same no matter
>what order the game is played on the three machines. The same question also 
>applies to books. 3 guys buy a book, they make two photocopies, all three read
>at the same time, the two copies are then destroyed. At time B' you now have
>three guys who have read one book. What difference does it make if they do it
>this way as opposed to passing around just one book? (and please don't tell
>me "its illegal, that's why").
>
>>If three people buy a game, it's only legal if ONE copy of the program is 
>>running at one
>>time.  If two or more of them have operable copies at the same time, it's
>>piracy.  It makes sense if you think about it.  
>
>No it doesn't make sense, I _have_ been thinking about it. I believe I am
>asking a reasonable question and all I get for responses is "its the law, man".
>Which is nothing short of a form of religious fundamentalism ("because the Bible
>says so, that's why") and not an answer at all.
>
>Sm

I think if you were to take this example to the extreme you might see
it a different way.  Say about 6000 of us all chip in a penny and buy
one game.  Then if we all played it at the same time, the company would
be hurt very much indeed.  Especially if this happened with many such
groups of people.  That is why the law must exist.  On the other hand
no one is saying we can't all pitch in and buy a game, then pass it from
one person to the next.  Now if there wasn't the law, I would be more than
happy to set up a group purchase.  I'd be a fool not to.  However if every
one did this, there would be no games to buy, because the companies that
make them would long since have gone out of business.  But we DO have the
law.  We can still all pitch in and buy one game and pass it around, with
only one person having the game at a time, but I'll say right now that you
can count me out.

The law might not make much sense, and I totally agree with all of your
arguements, but if there wasn't the law, then we probably would see the
type of abuse I metioned above (maybe to a smaller degree, but still
there.)  Then these arguements wouldn't exist because there would be no
games.  Thus, 1) you MUST have the law, and 2) it is ILLEGAL to have two
people playing 1 game at the same time on different machines.

I agree that there is no difference in have four people playing the
game at the same time then deleting it or having them play it one at
a time.  But if this is LEGALLY allowed, then the whole system won't
work.
-- 
=============================================================================
Mark Harrison           |  "We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx
harrison@sun.lclark.edu |   Our great computers fill the hallowed halls."
              -- Me     |                                    -- Rush