AT&T and Unix

[lauren at RAND-UNIX.ARPA]

Actually, I sent the department store analogy message just to you,
not to the list.  Though this message is going to both, since you
saw fit to forward my private mail to you to the entire list.

I think what really irks you is that it is possible to get the source
at all!  If the source were unavailable at ANY price to ANYONE, then
you might complain less.  Maybe.  Note that source for many microcomputer
programs (including the extremely popular mass-market ones, many of
which have presumably brought their authors far more income that AT&T
has made from Unix to date!) is often completely unavailable.  And that
decision is the right of the software author.

People selling and distributing software have the clear right to
determine the distribution means and prices for their products.
The fact that the product is easily copied does not change anything
at all -- the protection of intellectual property rights is firmly
grounded in law (though obviously not accepted by you).

You seem to be setting yourself up as judge and jury.  You sit around
deciding that it's "OK" to rip off an expensive piece of software, but
you draw the line at a $50 package.  There are people sitting around
in prisons who have used similar reasoning in other (not so different)
contexts.  Yes, I consider what you seem to be advocating to be common 
theft, and nothing less.

--Lauren--