I don't think source piracy is an issue for most because most of us write custom applications: that is, applications that are specifically designed for a particular business & business problem. Most of us do not write standard applications that have a value for other customers. Sure I wish I could turn that asset management program I have written into a standard application package but if I could then the EDS would have already done it <g>, and I'd be out of a job. Come to think of it I am out of a job but that's neither here nor there!

OTOH there are some VFP people who write applications that are not custom software and for them protection of source code may be an issue. But even for many of them there isn't much to fear. How are you going to get a copy of my Sales Information System? The company that has it isn't going to let you look at it. I'm not going to give you a copy either. VFP companies are too small to have their own industrial espionage departments! Consider commodity products like the VFP frameworks, or West Winds Web Connection, that are sold to many customers. These people ship the source code. Are they worried about source code piracy? They would just ambush the pirate outside of the convetion hall and give them a good beating!

Idea theft is even more irrelevant. Open source is very good for us, and more chances to see other peoples software would make all of our software better. Custom developers don't get much chance to see their competitors products at all which is a tremendous disadvantage for the whole community. Compare the situation with the internet browsers or word processors. Anytime a good idea appears in one then the others immediately copy it. Because of that these products have evolved and improved at a much faster pace than in custom development. The unavoidable consequence is that the we in custom development take most of our user interface ideas from off the shelf products regardless of whether they are appropriate to the job at hand. e.g. Microsoft Outlook looks good so we make our software look like Outlook.

PS does anyone know of software piracy of FoxPro code that has financially damaged the author? If so I will eat my words. Actually I will anyhow because it's dinner time and I'm quite peckish.

>No, I am not really against your opinions but wish to say something on the subject (and you are just the bear to shoot at :-))
>
>Refox is there to to get my own sources back, which occasionally is needed. So, great stuff;
>Refox is there too to get it encrypted, so no problem and if I want, I should use it. To say the $ is a topic, IMO makes no sense. Hence that MS should take care of either. However :
>
>IMO it goes a little far that I myself (in fact we all) must a. find out how to and b. write some small program to get rid of the sources in the classes. I mean, if one's not that much experienced, he/she just gives away the sources explicitly (i.e. just doesn't know this happens);
>I didn't see anybody say it, but this is why maybe the thinking exists that MS doesn't want to do anything about it.
>In the end for me it is not so much of a problem, because all be dealt with.
>
>For anyone who's stating that the sources aren't so much of a value, I would think twice;
>Even a rather small app can contain valuable ideas, which are under the protection of copyright laws. Now I know "overseas" (yep I'm from the other side) things are more easy to the respect of patenting, while overhere it is (still) all more implicit (Authors rights), but therefore much more difficult. So, I am thinking in the direction of the judge "finding out" that the source was explicitly delivered with the app, and then what ? "You just gave it away guy".
>
>Where a small app may have its value for (technical) ideas, the big app has its value in all occasions just because it is big. Mind you, I (we) have this 100,000+ hrs app which is really worth while copying, because such an app "shows" the consistency in functionalities which really cannot be designed again the same way (just too many decisions to make the same). However, once all the source is at hand, all the logic is there, and the other can start his own business in a few 1,000 hrs only. Please bear in mind that the difference is $40,000,000 just for the hours, not to think of the commercial value where the other has a $40M marketing budget, where you spent the money on the development. And, I have been there, right in the middle.
>
>Note that you (MS) may not have heard about this subject so much because the more experienced can get around it. And, the less experienced don't call you.
>
>So my message is only this :
>Please don't trivialize this one and know that somewhere in this world some legacy-jobs are being done with VFP. I think it is already hard enough to convince larger companies that VFP can do the job for them; thinking on this topic the wrong way (ok, as how I see it) doesn't contribute to that.
>
>Regards,