Hi Shane and anyone else who is interested in a moral viewpoint, Barely on the PIC topic but has some small relevance to datasheet copying, printing and code protection. > > > > link to a posted soft: cracked Eagle 3.51. It's up to you... > > > > > > in his driveway unlocked - it's up to you. > > > > If you download the pirate software - you know that it's illegal and > > therefore accept the consequences! > > > > So why should all the rightous brother try to castise those who wish to > > take the chance. If morality and intelligence did not have a strong natural (BUT NOT EXCLUSIVE, DON'T BITE MY HEAD OFF) correlation then we as the human race would indeed have no chance. If we had in general only intelligent terrorists and thieves we might as well stop using public transport and owning personal property. This is one of the real significant reasons that I have faith in human nature, we have survived this long. Without Karma (structured morality) there is very little reason not to take a chance. > I didn't think copying software was criminally illegal. ie: You can be > sued for copying it, but not charged with a criminal offense such as > theft. If I'm right (which is open to debate) then comparing it to the > theft of a car isn't appropriate. Well, I think that when I say this I speak for a fair number of people on this list, if you get charged with software theft do not pretend that you even had ignorance on your side. You certainly do not have the law on your side even though it is poorly enforced in some places, some times (China, Russia). > It's more like borrowing a friends cassette tape and making a copy for > yourself. Or recording a song off the radio. I'm curious how many people > who are so gung-ho against copying software, have copied audio. Equally illegal. Recording from broadcast mediums such as radio or television is normally specifically allowed for for personal use (as it would otherwise in the USA be unenforceable). I'm sure quite a few of the people who are against copying have transgressed/infringed/lapsed at some time, I know I have but am not proud of it and no longer do it. I don't have any 'gung-ho' feelings about it as I am also rather against the use of violence so the expression is rather inaccurate. > Or went to the library and photocopied a specs sheet, or had one faxed, > when it should have been purchased. The OWNER of the copyright decides if it may or may not be copied without payment of licence/royalty. Often copying of standards and sections of books is permited for personal STUDY, making money or using it in your work is not usually called study. If someone faxes you something you can only be accessory after the fact. Microchip for instance specifically copyrights all their data sheets but this is not intended to minimise their distribution, it is intended to prevent others from using the work as their own without paying Microchip if they wanted to be paid. They specifically reserve all rights in any event. I think the real issue lies in whether one believes any value lies in the code, doccument, song, video, movie, car, whatever. If there is some value then it can be stolen. The PC revolution has made it very easy for people to forget that the value is not in the media as it has become so easy to duplicate. Ideas do have value, wait till one of yours is taken and hope the cost of learning is not as high as the amount of value you have taken in your life. I would love to live and work in a world where I did not have to code protect my PICs but mostly I do because it is the only real barrier to people stealing a novel idea that may have taken a lot of time to create. Cheers -- Say YES to morals. -- Kalle Pihlajasaari kalle@ip.co.za http://www.ip.co.za/ip Interface Products P O Box 15775, DOORNFONTEIN, 2028, South Africa + 27 (11) 402-7750 Fax: 402-7751 http://www.ip.co.za/people/kalle DonTronics, Silicon Studio and Wirz Electronics uP Product Dealer