Subj : Re: GNU Public Licences Revisited (again) To : comp.programming From : Chris Sonnack Date : Tue Sep 20 2005 10:33 pm Joe Wright writes: >> This all has nothing to do with freedom of information patterns. >> It has to do with stealing an author's work. > > Think of it Bill Gates' way. He makes Beer ans sells it for $100. He > declares the evils of Piracy, You say that as if you don't think stealing is morally wrong. > ...promises retribution but provides Beer on a CD which anyone can > copy,... What has that to do with anything? If I leave my car unlocked with the keys in it, is it morally okay to steal it? > ...protected by 'Key ID' that anyone can know. I went shopping the other day and was disgusted by how much effort and resource goes into anti-theft prevention. Electonic gates in every store, complicated packaging, cameras..... All because people in this society have so lost their moral compass they actually have come to believe that, "If I *CAN* steal it, why that's practically a license to do so." > He sells 1000 copies of Beer and gets $100,000. 500 people obtain copies > of Beer through whatever means. Are they stealing from Bill? Absolutely. No question about it. It's theft, pure and simple. > I think not. You're wrong. > Bill has simply gained another 500 users of Beer. It's all about > market share. Taking business away from the competition. The fact that being stolen from turns out to have a small silver lining does NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT THOSE 500 assholes are thieves. If you take what is not yours, you are a thief. Period. You can apply all the wishy washy bullshit rationalization you want, and it won't change the simple fact that You Are A Thief. > These 500 users are not going to buy Ale from IBM or Malt from Sun. And this justifies theft? If I'm never going to by a CD by Blur, it's therefore okay to steal one? Nonsense. Non-Sense. -- |_ CJSonnack _____________| How's my programming? | |_ http://www.Sonnack.com/ ___________________| Call: 1-800-DEV-NULL | |_____________________________________________|_______________________| .