At 02:09 PM 11/21/2003, mark drillock wrote:
>So, is it ok to steal as long as you share the goods with your friends
>for free? That seems to be what some here are saying. I don't know if
>they feel a hate for profits or if they are not thinking very deeply.

It's kinda tough for me to identify just who is losing something in this
setup when no money changes hands; I think if that were clear people (me,
for example) would find it easier to come down against it.  From here it
appears that VW gains part sales and loyal customers with no associated
costs I can see other than being thwarted in their wishes; no influence on
the software developers; the dealers lose a little power of coercion but
also a good deal of nuisance, and I don't see how the shift intrinsically
favors one dealer over another...kinda pushes it down to a question of the
Rule of Law which is not such a clear issue to many people of say post-WWII
vintage as it possibly was before.

When money beyond strict reimbursement changes hands I suspect that VW do
have a cost in that failing to pursue the matter might influence their
ability to recover if someone *did* at some point try to use the
information competitively against them.  The sort of thing Frank is doing
follows the shareware model where people can charge reasonably for
distribution of a free product but not for the product itself.  But it
blurs a line which I suspect VW would like to keep crystal clear.  Same
thing potentially with the software developers I guess.  I'm sure their
actual obligation to VW doesn't go beyond refusing to distribute or
sanction distribution.

d

--
David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"