AT&T and Unix - The real issue

[Mel Pleasant]

> Would anybody care to comment on the REAL issue here, or do you all think
> that small users are left out in the cold, but derserve it because they
> cant afford a $40k source license?

I think you are missing the point.  But since you insist, I'll address your
issue first.  Many many older corporations have software which might fare
better if prices on the software were lowered drastically.  This is mostly
due to more powerful and cheaper personal computers.  Their inability or
lack of desire to reduce their prices is a perogative that they hold.  With
the way things stand now, YOU ARE LEGALLY OUT IN THE COLD.  Until someone
legally challenges AT&T, they own the software and can charge whatever their
little hearts desire.  If they want to continue in the path that they have
chosen, only time will tell us if they've taken the proper path.  With the
advent of GNU, we are given an inkling that AT&T will only hurt itself in the
long run - but we'll have to wait and see!!!

Issue two - You do not have some basic right that allows you to rip off
someone else's software just because you happen to like it.  Whether they
can continue to sell it or not doesn't really come into play.  If you want
to claim that AT&T is wronging you in some way - then fine.  But your
stealing their software is also wrong.  I don't know about you but I was
taught that two wrongs don't make a right.  If you rip off a copy of the
software YOU ARE A THIEF.  *EVEN* if AT&T is commiting a wrong it still
makes you no less a thief.  So, while you are asking everyone to consider
your point of view, YOU should consider the other issue being expressed here.

In other words - THERE IS *MORE* THAN ONE REAL ISSUE HERE

-Mel Pleasant
...seismo!topaz!pleasant