It is totally rational from the user's viewpoint. My neighbor Mac spent his working years as a soldier and a policeman. "Mr. Law and Order," you could call him, but he's also a generous guy. Mac gives a fair amount of (Windows) software to other senior citizens around here. Tell him he's doing something wrong and he'll laugh at you. He bought that software and paid for it, so it's his to do with as he likes. Sharing it is just... neighborly.
But the user still wants to be able to treat all products the same. It may be irrational, but that's the way it is. One of the attributes of Free and Open Source Software is that the user can ideed treat software like a chair, and not get sued for doing so.
Mac has been playing with Linux out of curiosity, but so far he sees no reason to switch from Windows. He has a large collection of Windows software (bought or traded for) he hates to give up.
- Robin
--
license-discuss archive is at http://crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?3
