> -----Original Message-----
> From: plug-discuss-admin@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> [mailto:plug-discuss-admin@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us]On Behalf Of Patrick
> Fleming
> Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2001 3:53 PM
> To: plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> Subject: Re: Publish and Perish
>
>
> On Thu, 19 Jul 2001, Jim wrote:
>
> > Well at least we can be proud that we are not part of corporate America.
> >
> > Another interesting thing that could come out with all this crap,
> > notwithstanding the protests against DMCA and Adobe, is that
> maybe this will
> > help uncover how much influence Adobe had when the DMCA was written.
>
> Don't forget the Software Business Alliance- the group formed by M$, Adobe
> and others to target piracy.  These are the same people who sent letters
> to licensed users of software saying <begin paraprase> you better not be
> using illegal copies of our software because we can com look </end
> paraphrase> and ran Big Brother type ads on TV last summer and fall here
> in AZ.
> There are two things I wanted to do but threw the previously mentioned
> letter away when I received mine:
> 1) Return the letter with something like "Sorry only Linux is used here"
> written on it (there was a prepaid business return envelope enclosed to
> report those you knew who were using pirated software- return address
> Redmond, WA)
> 2) Keep it to laugh at the morons who put it together.
>
> And I believe that it's Digital Millenium Copyright Act- not music as
> stated before.
>
> Patrick
> >
> > Needless to say, corporate protectionism (aka DMCA) is akin to corporate
> > welfare (aka the governments, federal, state, and local) being
> the biggest
> > clients of Microsoft.  America is becoming a government of the
> companies, by
> > the companies, and for the companies.
> >
---------
I believe that it is the BSA and not the SBA

As for the DMCA and the other things labelled as corporate welfare, I think
that open source movement can make some valuable headway here. Seems pretty
obvious to me that a new computer these days, $500 of it can go towards
Win2K & OfficeXP - that's some serious moolah. Add to that, Microsoft
rewriting the rules on fair use (cannot install on both a laptop and desktop
computer, and 'active enforcement' of the licensing which up until now has
been the 'honor system' of licensing. I think there are a lot of eyes
opening up.

Of course, we are all free to pay $500 for the privilege to use Microsoft's
insanely great software.

;-)

Craig