Re: Mailbag for Friday, June 16

[tim@toad.com (Tim Maroney)]

Quoted-From: mcvax!eutrc3.urc.tue.nl!rcbamw@uunet.UU.NET (m.waucomont)
>>You don't purchase copies of the Finder.  Upgrades are free.
>
>What I meant to say is, that if you read the Copyright Law carefully, you
>will notice that you are allowed to only have *ONE* disk with the software,
>wich may be loaded into the computers memory for execution. This is the 
>only form of duplication allowed. But all Macintosh users I know have
>*multiple* copies of the Finder. That is illegal. Indeed the Mac comes with
>the Finder and indeed upgrades are free, but you _are supposed to_ boot from
>the original floppy. No  copies allowed... says the law. So, if you stick 
>to the letter of the law, all Macintosh users violate the Copyright Law and
>should be prosecuted.

Absolute nonsense.  The copyright law says nothing of the sort, and
Apple not only explicitly instructs you to make copies of the Finder
onto your hard disk, they distribute on every boot disk a program, the
Installer, which has no purpose but to makes copies of the Finder and
other system software onto other disks.  If someone told you that you
are supposed to always boot from a floppy, they are a fool who did not
bother to read the "Macintosh System Software User's Guide" that came
with the Macintosh.

A software vendor has the option of putting restrictions on software
like the ones you mentioned.  If so, they must be stated explicitly in
a licensing agreement.  Apple has not with respect to the Finder.
About the only restrictions are that you can't redistribute it yourself
and that you can't run it on anything but a Macintosh.

Of all the silly things said here recently about copyright, your
message is the silliest.  No contest.

>The point I am trying to make is that I feel laws are meant to protect the
>creator of a product as well as the consumer.

Gee, no kidding.  Of course, all *my* arguments have had absolutely
nothing to do with protecting the creator.  Riiiight.

>What I am propagating is that the law should be interpreted a little less
>vigorous as it has been in this newsgroup lately. I am definitely not 
>advocating anarchy, but a bit more humane behaviour would be most welcome.

Humane behavior like stealing from an artist one professes to admire,
for instance?  Oh, if I could only reach those lofty heights.
-- 
Tim Maroney, Mac Software Consultant, sun!hoptoad!tim, tim@toad.com
Postal: 424 Tehama, SF CA 94103; Phone: (415) 495-2934

"Now hear a plain fact: Swedenborg has not written one new truth: Now hear
  another: he has written all the old falshoods.
 And now hear the reason.  He conversed with Angels who are all religious, &
  conversed not with Devils who all hate religion..."
    - Blake, "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell"