On 28 Mar 2005 at 20:52, Alfred M. Szmidt wrote:
Please don't spread the confusion that code is a physical entity, you cannot "steal" code, it is impossible. What you speak of are copyright violations, not theft.
I take the view that if person A takes a copy of something B has without B's permission where B loses out as a result, that is stealing.
And yes you can steal code. If I make some program which makes all computers go five times faster and someone else takes that without my permission and makes billions from it, that is in my mind and most people's minds stealing.
Just because software, like most computer-representable stuff like music and movies, is somewhat different to physical goods doesn't mean you can't steal them. It still requires very significant amounts of resources to develop software, music and movies and not returning that investment is theft. In mine and most people's opinion, authors should be rewarded for creative works.
It's just that I disagree with the current system of remuneration/protectionism, not that authors shouldn't be paid for their work. I do not think that most software should be free of cost in the slightest - in fact, one of my major problems with the GPL is that code under it is hard to commercialise.
Cheers, Niall