Hi Suraj,
Even though I share your views, I can't help but point out one flaw
in your line of reasoning with a car. If you buy a car you can do
anything with it, even sell it. However in case of a video or cd you can
also make multiple copies of it and sell them while still retaining the
original - this is called piracy. You are profiting out of someone else's
efforts. Can you do this with a car ? No. If give your car to your neighbor
for his use you are not able to use it at that same time. Similarly if you
give away your commercial sw cd to your neighbor and do not use it anymore,
this is also ok.
This is primary difference between other tangible assets and software.
With something like a car or a book one person has paid for it an only
one person can use it at a time, whether he is original owner or not.
BTW making photocopies of an entire book is also illegal.
Having said that I'd reiterate that I am all for open/free software and
technology. I hate proprietary software/technology that lock you into a
trap - it is unfortunate that I am having to run a weird, quriky,
idiosyncratic,
bloated, big bad brotherly, freedom - crushing, complex, reboot requiring,
inefficient proprietary OS on my desktop because my work demands it :(
Regards,
Moinak.
At 11:07 AM 9/19/2002 +0530, Suraj Kumar wrote:
hi,
Ravi Rao wrote on Wed, Sep 18, 2002 at 12:48:37PM -0700:
ravi> Ragu> just doing a normal thing for helping themselves and you are
endorsing
ravi> Ragu> the viewpoint that copying of a software is like boarding a
ship and
ravi> Ragu> killing people.
ravi>
ravi> And how exactly is he doing that, might I ask?
Because proprietary software world calls sharing software with your
neighbours itself as illegal and gives it a name - "Piracy". The
dictionary meaning of the word piracy is: "robbery on the high seas;
taking a ship away from the control of those who are legally entitled to
it". Is this what you do by sharing software with your friends? I
disagree.
When you buy a software/music/video it belongs to *you*. and its *you*
who decides what to do with it. If I buy an audio CD its upto me to give
it to my friends to enjoy it or keep it all to myself, what does the
owner of the music/software have to do here? lets say, when I buy a car,
its *mine* and its *me* who decides what to do with it. The car
manufacturer never tells me that I shouldn't sell it to others. I feel
the same rule should be applied to software too. and if I sell this
piece of software that *I* bought is it equivalent to attacking a ship?
I disagree.
-Suraj
--
+----------------------------------------------<suraj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>--+
| Prolonged pout and sulking with the beloved of sweet |
| embrace, is a weapon rising to shatter my soul |
| (the delight of boudiere - 4), Thirukkural |
+--<http://www.symonds.net/~suraj/>------------------------------------+
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