In article , Bob Fry
writes:


Sure you can. I justify it for this reason:


Yeah, yeah, yeah, everyone can find some justification for what they want to do
inspite of the moral and legal issues involved. Every bank robber is equally
justified in his own mind that its the only thing to do.

"To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for
limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their
respective writings and discoveries;" US Constitution, Article I,
Section 8, Clause 8.

The US Congress passed a law which Clinton signed which extends
copyright for some works to nearly 100 years! Does that sound like
"limited times to authors"? Hell no! Congress some time ago ruined
the original intent of copyright and patents, and electronic
reproduction of text, images, and sound has made the whole notion even
more meaningless. Why is it that the little guy is forced to follow
some law which big corporations forced upon the populace; but those
big corporations don't have to follow the Constitution?

I'm for the original intent of the Constitution: authors of works
should enjoy exclusive right to their works for a limited time; then
they're up for grabs. Especially in today's rapid-paced, instantly
connected world--far different than 200+ years ago--"limited time"
should be something between 5 to 10 years for most works, probably
only 3 to 5 years for software.



Spoken like someone who will never have to see the results of their work simply
taken because it can be done and justified because they think they have waited
long enough. Yet another example of situation ethics.


Bob Reed
www.kisbuild.r-a-reed-assoc.com (KIS Builders Site)
KIS Cruiser in progress...Slow but steady progress....

"Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice,
pull down your pants and Slide on the Ice!"
(M.A.S.H. Sidney Freedman)