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Guillaume PONCE contact at guillaumeponce.org
Fri Oct 19 15:41:29 UTC 2001


> But we are on the same side.
> 
> Underground software distributors give people more freedom in
> short-term.
> Without them, all monopolists, like Microsoft and RIAA would have many
> times money,
> would be able to set many times higher prices and would be able to buy
> more politicians
> to ban all free software and competition in general.
> 
> Just because what these people do is illegal under current broken law
> doesn't mean
> that it's wrong or that we should oppose it. Their work is also very
> important
> for success of freedom.

I don't agree with that.

They do not "give freedom" in any way. They just take it and, eventually, 
encourage people to do the same.

In my opinion piracy is not so harmfull to proprietary software.
Monopolists wouldn't make very much more money because many of the "pirated
software consumer" wouldn't buy it if they could not have it "free as beer".

If you cannot buy beer you can:
  - Steal it (that is what piracy is).
  - Drink water (if it's still free ;)

Worst, piracy may be a good vector to popularize proprietary software even among
those who cannot afford it (but may be able in the future).

When I was student I couldn't afford M$ Word (that was before I came to the free
software movement).
But I had an illegal copy of it so I could use it to write internship reports.
Many student were like me. Now we are working for companies that buy software to
enable us to work.
If the boss of one of these ex-students comes and asks "what do you need to
write reports?" many of them will answer "Well, I know M$ Word, I used it when I
was a student".

With no piracy, current students could investigate other solutions and learn
about the existence of free software and even use and promote it in their future
employer componies.


Piracy corrupts the proprietary way to distribute software but may also
contribute to maintain it.
Free software movement, as I feel it, is trying to find a safe new way to
distribute software, I find it far more interesting.
It's far more safe to try to make better law than letting law going nasty and
find ways to bypass it.


If I could compare with politic I'd say that:
  - Piracy is a kind of terrorism.
  - Free software is a revolution.



Guillaume PONCE
http://www.guillaumeponce.org/



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