>Theft is theft. If you feel that theft of intellectual property is an acceptable behavior, you're entitled to believe it. I'll not do so, and will not consider piracy apologists to be moral or ethical individuals.

Let me clarify myself. I do reject use of illegal software, period..... But I don't have too many problems with people who use this illegal software to see it's capabilities (using it as a demo or evaluation copy).

When some company installs my software to evaluate it, I'll have no problems with that, I'll be happy. But when they professional use my software without paying for it, it's an other matter.

In this way, this cannot be regarded as theft.

>The authors of Zachary are entitled to the benefits of creating it as a commercial package. Larry's already decided he really needs it badly to support someone who'se going to be charged money for a product he's going to develop with the product he'll not pay for. He's never, ever going to buy the product, he desperately needs it to make money just this once, so it's OK to steal it and not compensate the authors.

Don't let there be a misunderstanding about the behaviour of Larry. I find it rejectable. period....

>Walter, consider the position you've supported. I think your own ethics need some examination. Obviously, there's some threshhold value for theft that you find acceptable. For me, the threshhold value is nil.

I think the word theft is missleading and cannot be applied here.

>If I'm going to use a product, especially where I'm going to be charging money for the use of that product, I buy it. I buy an awful lot of stuff to be able to properly evaluate it, and it ends up on the shelf collecting dust afterwards. That's called a part of the cost of doing business.

I don't know about you, but I don't have that much money to buy every product i'm possible interessted in.

When i buy a TV and after I installed it. I find the quality is not acceptable, I can go back to the store switch the TV for another TV with the desired quality. I do not have enough money to buy another TV. With software I cannot do this, so I find it very acceptable to try before I Buy, If this cannot be done legally, I've no problems with trying it illegally. And honestly I cannot imagine that companies have very much problems with that, because if I have doubts I'll not buy this product anyway.

If i have to choose between the following situations:
1. 10% of the companies have bought the product and 90% don't know the product.
2. 10% of the companies have bought the product and 50% has an illegal evaluation copy and 40% don't know the product.
I'll choose the latter.

Note that because of this illegal trying software we all use MS products and buy them when we need to. This is a strong advertisement for the MS products. If this did not happend I wonder if we would be working with such beatifull software these days.

This illegal use of software (how rejectable it is), is a trigger for companies to keep the prices low. Note that the countries where piracy is most common, the economical standard is very high.

You'll be putting your head into the sand, if you 'll say that without piracy the world looks better. I'll bet if there was no piracy, We would still be in the stage of using Word 6.0 or WP 5.0 Or Foxbase+.