Ignore that man behind the curtain!

"T.P. Stephens" wrote:
>
> At 02:58 AM 11/11/99 EST, you wrote:
> >Scan all the copies from all the catalogs, and you have a very high demand
> >item.
> >
> >Of course you will need to get permission from VW to do this.
> >
>
> I suggest a writing campainge to VW. The laws associated with plagurism and
> copyrights will be in VW's hands without their approval. If they got 20 or
> more letters from various listees stating, "I'm going to COPY your
> materials and distribute your information 'cause you won't and lots of
> people want the info that you won't release.", they just might consider
> releasing it. Or maybe they will give a license (for free??? I doubt it.)
> to publish. How about a 100 letters?? How many letters will it take before
> someone at VW lifts an eyebrow to a perceived opportunity to recoup some of
> their investment???
>
> Consider, if you had invested several thousand manhours (engineer type
> man/woman hours) to create a product of essential value, would you be upset
> to see it being replicated and sold by a pirate???
>
> There are several issues involved. Will VW want to release information that
> has a possability to enhance the ability of people to identify and purchase
> parts from a mailorder discounter, or a FLAPS, rather than having to go the
> the official dealer for both the info and parts??? Will they participate in
> an endeavor that will help people to circumvent their opportunities to pay
> for their R&D?? We are GAGA about the VALUE of their products. Is it
> reasonable to expect to have this value without regard to supporting the
> entity that created the value??
>
> Is there on the list an attorney or publishing type who will DONATE their
> time in helping to get this project to fruition withour fracturing a law
> here and there?? Human efforts are rarely (never?) successful without
> mutual recognized value to all concerned parties.
>
> Identify the vaules, identify the market, consider the viewpoints of and
> impact to all the affected parties, before you push the copy button. Just
> because pushing the button is easy it doesn't necessarily follow that it
> should be pushed.
>
> Doktor Tim
> Maintenance Repair and Restoration of European Vehicles
> San Juan Island, WA