RE: [dvd-discuss] Postage Meters and the "Right to Tinker"

["Richard Hartman" <hartman(at)onetouch.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Zulauf [mailto:johnzu@ia.nsc.com]
...
> 
> Michael A Rolenz wrote:
> > 
> > the other problem with .002's analogy is "how is TurboTax
> > being defrauded?" They actually are not. They are just not getting
> > revenue (the activation fee) rather than being forced to 
> spend it (as
> > in the post office). TurboTax is in the same situation if nobody
> > activates it or if everybody cracks it.
> 
> Not quite true, and not particularly interesting.  If noone activates
> their disk, some will still be in the market for tax software 
> and might
> (upon further review at an online, or retail store) purchase 
> TurboTax. 
> Also impacted  are TurboTax's competitors, would get the rest of the
> marketshare.  If everyone cracks the product, there will be no one let
> interested in buying tax software and no one is compensated.
> 
> The loss to TurboTax is a real one not imagined.  

But it is a loss that _they_ incurred when they
made a gift of that CD to me.  I now own it, just
as I own that DVD of "Die Hard" we've been using
as our parallel example.

If it weren't for that 'gift' aspect, then I wouldn't
have any problems w/ the idea that hacking past the
DRM is theft of their product.  For example, if I
made a copy of that CD and gave it to you, that would
be theft (although if I gave you the original, it
would merely be a transfer of property...)