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From: Bob Hubbard
Subject: Re: holier-than-thou-I'd-never-pirate tight-wads
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.flight-sim, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.misc, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic
Date: 1996/08/16

Christian <oceanic@mind.net> wrote:

>Gri
>>
>> It hardly matters whether pirating drives prices up, down or sideways.
>> Pirating is thievery; are you sure you are clear on the concept?
>>
>> Dick
>> jarvinen@griffobros.com
>
>I suppose if A friend asks to borrow a book you will tell him to go out
>and buy it since by loaning it you are screwing the publisher out of his
>due money right?

No, in my case if a friend asks to borrow a book, software, etc I
usually loan it to him. However, if he likes it I expect him to buy
his own copy, and not simply photocopy/duplicate/copy the loaned
version. It's a simple concept. Piracy IS! theft. PERIOD!

If you borrow a CD, and make a tape for yourself that is THEFT, and
you are a THIEF.

If you borrow a BOOK/MAGAZINE from the library and COPY THE WHOLE
ITEM, then you are a thief. (Not to mention kinda stupid as
photocopying it is usually more expensive and more un-manageable than
simply buying it.)

If you borrow/rent a VIDEO TAPE and then copy it you are a THIEF. I
do believe the same holds true if you tape it off of PAY PER VIEW or
whatever. (There are some "fair-use" and "permissible-use" clauses in
effect to cover time-recording, and photocopying PARTS of
book/magazine articles)

AND.....

If you make a copy of a COMPUTER PROGRAM (game, utility, etc) when you
do not HAVE THE RIGHT TO (ie: you don't own it) then you are a THIEF.

In other words, the UNAUTHORIZED DUPLICATION OF A COPYWRITEN WORK IS
THEFT. Period. End of Discussion.

If you DISTRIBUTE the UNAUTHORIZED DUPLICATE then you are a PIRATE.

Basically the "well I'm only 10 years old.....OR...Well I really can't
afford it...OR...Well it really sucked.....etc..etc...etc" excuses are
just that. If you don't have the money for that burger, well then you
don't get the burger. If it sucks then why do you have it (and the
other 1,0000000 programs that "suck" on your hard drive, or on
archive's? And the "gee I'm so young" excuse is really lame. So
you're young. Big Deal. Just cuz you don't have $30,000 for a car
doesn't give you the right to go and take one, and just cuz you don't
have the $10-$100 it costs to purchase a program doesn't give you the
right to STEAL IT!

Face Facts People. Theft is Theft. It doesn't matter how you explain
it, excuse it or ignore it. If you can't afford it, then like
everything else in life that you can't afford, you DO WITHOUT IT until
you can afford it. Save your allowence, get a job, sell your old
games, collect pop cans, whatever.

If you have a bootleg and it's SOMETHING THAT YOU USE ALOT, then go
buy an original copy and support the guys who wrote it so that they
will write more stuff for you to enjoy. Yeah, I know some of these
cost a bit. You can wait a little while and get them from the bargin
bins, or a used software shop. We picked up Panzer General for $20
NEW, Allied General for $25 NEW and Perfect General II (with senario
editor, etc) for $29 NEW. Picked up Duke 3D for $30 NEW. Look around
and bargin shop. There's no excuse to justify bootlegs, except these
2:

a: You're a thief. Admit it to yourself, and be the low-life you are

OR

b: You are EVALUATING a possible future purchase. Limit yourself to
no more than 10-15 hours of game play, or 15 days, or something fair
(not 6 months folks) And then, if it is something you do like, go buy
it. If it's not, then DELETE IT!

End of Lecture.

Bob Hubbard - Centarius Software Company

[ All Flames are ignored, as I do not bother with e-mail from Lamers!]