From: skip@tacky.cs.olemiss.edu (Skip Sauls)
Subject: Re: PIRACY
Keywords: semprini, spam, ni, naughty bits
Organization: University of Mississippi, Dept. of Computer Science
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 01:56:45 GMT

In article <1ec12aINNepj@gap.caltech.edu> jsurace@cco.caltech.edu (Jason A. Surace) writes:
>skip@tacky.cs.olemiss.edu (Skip Sauls) writes:
>
>
>>Okay, let's apply that same logic to other issues.  The car thief never bought
>>the car, nor would they have bought it, therefore there is no net gain and
>>no net loss.  The bank robber never earned the money, nor would they have tried
>>to earn it, therefore no net gain and no net loss.  The rapist never asked the
>>victim if they wanted to be raped, and the victim might never know what they 
>>might be missing if he did, therefore no net gain and no net loss.  The mass
>>murderer never cared if the victims wanted to live, and they didn't know what
>>might happen should they do so, therefore no net gain and no net loss.
>
>>Do you see how positively silly your argument sounds now?
>
>>The fact is that software piracy is no different from other forms of theft
>>and it is the opinion of moral and decent people that it is wrong.
>
>>Skip Sauls, Amiga Advocate and Pirate Basher
>>$skip@tacky.cs.olemiss.edu
>
>
>Well, I am against software piracy, but your rebuttal doesn't stand up.

I never said that I was a lawyer...  :-)

>In each of your cited counter-examples there is a physical object which is
>transferred (except for the rape, but then there is the emotional trauma).
>So there is a new loss (for the victim) and gain (for the theif). In software
>piracy, a new copy of the goods being stolen is created. The makers have not
>really lost a tangible object, only a potential sale. Your argument would
>be correct if there was a limited quantity of software in the world, without
>the possibility of making more.

You don't think that there is a limited quantity of software in the world?
Sure, it is possible to make as many copies of SuperDroolBeastHead IV for
all the pirates and non-pirates alike.  But once the software companies
wake up and realize how unprofitable the Amiga market is, there will be no
more new software.

Before anyone begins to tell me that the PD writers will continue, think
about this in the long term.  If the software companies stop supporting
the Amiga, the honest people will not have new software to buy and will
not buy any new Amigas.  Commodore is hurt because no one is buying the
machines and decides to get out of the Amiga business.  In turn, even
the most die-hard PD developers realize that the Amiga is dead and there
is no need to bother supporting it any longer.  Given the rabid nature
of most pirates, I doubt that they will want to bother with a machine
for which no new games are being developed.

Okay, I know that the above sounds absolutely ridiculous, but it is no
more so than the arguments presented by the pirates and their supporters.
Some of you are complaining that you are not pirates, but the very fact
that you are defending the pirates actions makes me wonder about your
character.  

Fortunately, most of the people defending the pirates are but mere
children and there may be some hope for them.  As a child, I participated
in piracy of Apple ][ software and in fact had a ridiculous collection
of software that I never used.  Had my parents known that I was engaging
in this sort of illegal activity, I guarantee that I'd have had my hide
tanned and my computer taken away from me.  My guess is that most of the
pirates have parents who are equally as ignorant in computer technology
as mine were and do not know what their children are doing.

The most appalling thing is that there are persons who are majoring in
computer related fields who are pirates.  Why would anyone in their
right mind want to hire someone who is a criminal?  Drug users, convicted
felons, and others are not hired because of their actions and I would
think that most companies would not hire a pirate either.

No matter what anyone may say, piracy is a crime.  Pirates are criminals
and should be dealt with as such.  I'm sure that certain people who are
in favor of piracy will respond with witty arguments, but that still does
nothing to change the fact that it is wrong.

>                                              - Jason Surace
>                                            jason@ipac.caltech.edu

BTW, Jason, this is not directed at you.  The little boys who have been
sending the email to me know who they are and that I am talking to them.

Skip Sauls, Amiga Advocate, Pirate Basher, but not a Lawyer
skip@tacky.cs.olemiss.edu

Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy