[sdiy] OT: Software 'theft'

[Colin Fraser]

Imagine someone invented a matter duplicator.
Two large boxes, one a super high-res 3d x-ray scanner, and the other a
sub-atomic matter manipulator.
You put any object in one box, press a button, and a short time later, an
exact replica of the object appears - constructed from some dense source
material, just protons, neutrons, electrons - reorganised into an identical
copy of the original object.
All powered by totally free cold-fusion generators.

Now, what would you do with this device ?
How many people using the matter duplicator to run themselves off a Ferrari,
a luxury yacht, a couple of Memorymoogs ;-) etc are going to stop and
think - 'Hey - I'm stealing someone's intellectual property here ! Someone
invested time and money in the design of these things, aside from the cost
of the raw materials.'

The 'thief' thinks he could never have afforded to buy a real Ferrari, so
copying one for himself can't possibly hurt the maker.

The maker thinks their design is being 'stolen'.

Neither party is wholly right, neither is totally wrong.
The debate will no doubt go on forever.
But hopefully not here...


Colin f