-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On 04/01/07 11:26, Celejar wrote: > On Sun, 1 Apr 2007 11:07:37 +0300 > Andrei Popescu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Celejar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >>> On Sat, 31 Mar 2007 03:44:18 +0300 >>> Andrei Popescu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> >>> [snip] >>> >>>> An interesting trend is that some small businesses who can't afford >>>> to run pirated software, but also don't want/can't afford to pay >>>> for MS Office are using OpenOffice. >>> Only those who "can't afford to run pirated software"? Are there none >>> who respect the legal or moral rights of software producers? >> Willingly? When the average income is ~200 EUR/month and some software >> suite costs ~700EUR, moral considerations come second. The only >> questions is if you are likely to have a visit from the BSA or not! > > Are you arguing that poverty justifies stealing? I certainly agree that
Justifies? No. Explains? Yes. Especially for something as ephemeral as software and when created by a Big American Company. > that we should consider mitigating factors when judging (formally or > informally) or punishing (judicially or extra-judicially) a thief, but > insofar as one recognizes a legal or moral basis for intellectual > property, then low income levels do not justify flouting the owners' > rights, especially since quality free alternatives exist. Unless that culture does not have the concept of intellectual property. >> I assume, big companies with offices/factories in Romania are paying for >> their licenses, but considering the numbers and spread ... who would be >> able to count? Or does MS have some special agreements with such >> companies? - -- Ron Johnson, Jr. Jefferson LA USA Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Hit him with a fish, and he goes away for good! -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFGD+EdS9HxQb37XmcRAlUqAKDNKCAaSJMDds/wMKwFzVWgYVo3CQCfVSfd ZG2cTr1QWLyZElFKgoXSzps= =3guU -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]