>I think you would find that the pirate thing applies only to a product
>that the company is still selling. If they would offer it for sale I
>would buy it if not I'll get is some other way.. jep
Copyright law doesn't work that way. The copyright is valid regardless of
whether the product is for sale or not. You have to remember that copyright
law didn't start with software, it started with books, music, art, etc. If
I write a song, that gives me the right to determine who performs it and
what, if anything, they pay me in return for it. The same basic principle
applies to software. Last I checked, copyright infringement was punishable
by up to a $10,000 fine and 6 months in jail for EACH infringment, ie. each
copy you make.
When you buy software, you're not really buying the copyrighted work,
you're buying a license which allows you to "perform" the work on your
computer. If you want a legitimate copy of software that's out of print,
you have to get someone else to give up the right to use their copy,
assuming that the license allows that kind of transfer.
Disclaimer: I am not an attorney, but I do run an R&D company that licenses
technology on a regular basis and consult with an intellectual property
attorney frequently. If you have any doubts about it, you can probably
contact either the BSA or SPA via their 800 numbers and get the straight
scoop.
Dave "davids" Sparks
Sequoia Motorsports