Willaim Robb wrote:
I don't understand why you are trying to make a connection between music CDs and software. Other than that they are both on little plastic discs, they don't really have much in common.
I helped "develop" a music CD a couple of years ago.
It was a buddy of mine recording a buddy of his' music.
The development cost was a couple of cases of beer, plus materials.
We did pretty good too.
Which is a pretty good analogy for free/shareware. The medium has little to do with it. It's the investment of time and skill/expertise that I'm drawing the analogy with. Whether the product arrives on vinyl, tape, diskette, CD or is downloaded is immaterial. (Groan)
Anyway, if my friend the Photoshop instructo is correct in his assertion that Adobe has sold about 1 in every 10 copies that are in use, (an I see no reason to doubt him), I don't see how you can argue that pirating isn't causing a problem. If they could sell half of what is in use, the price would most likely be significantly lower per unit.
I have never argued that piracy is not causing a problem. My argument is that the retail price is too high, causing piracy. The forward thinking thing to do would be to lower the price (everywhere) and provide support in the ex-pirate markets. As it stands, the high-price market profits are supporting the ex-piracy markets. Your version is, in part, supporting some guy in Siberia. FWIW I do not agree with wholesale theft of intellectual property. If, however, the owner of that property gives up at least part of their right I will happily take advantage of that.
The answer? Next version of PS that comes out, don't buy it. Or take a trip to Omsk (bit of a busman's holiday for you - let's say a Black Sea resort) and get it there. You'll pay about the same price in total and have a holiday thrown in. Speaking generally, I suspect that witholding of purchase will not happen as the great buying public seems to have turned into some masochistic version of Oliver Twist.
Is there a difference in prices of PS between the USA and Canada? If so, what would be the legal/moral issues in buying a copy in the cheaper place to use in the dearer?
mike
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