For years I have steered clear of the ethics debate concerning ETKA. I
thinkI'll keep it that way.

BTW - don't have it on my computer as my van never breaks.

tim i san jose

>From: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
>Reply-To: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: ETKA & ELSA ?  burning and shipping for free??? (F)
>Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2003 15:02:21 -0500
>
>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"

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