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Re: The ethics of software emulations?



I find this thread highly interesting, at least the posts I've read so
far - as it is spread out over a bunch of different subject lines (as
usual on this wonderful list ;-)

I agree with Mark Francombe that it feels fresh with the "rip-off
scene" - or open source movement, if you like - and I too think that
it will probably lead to something better. The uncreative copyright
stronghold has indeed bothered me for years now and I have been
reading the books on the topic put out by Lawrence Lessig and others.
I noticed it first in the music industry back in the late nineties
when the labels started firing people - even the good A&R folks that
has always been there to guarantee good talent being developed for the
future - and instead putting their shrinking resources into paying
lawyers to check if other companies are using their copyrighted
material. So instead searching for the good music of tomorrow, the biz
sort of slid off into a frenzy where every player cared most about
finding ways to sue everyone else. What Lessig points out, is that all
major inventions throughout history have happened because someone took
someone else's product and made it better - so much better in fact
that it became a new product. The modern tendency to (over) protect
copyright doesn't leave much room for this classic way of product
development.

Regarding software, I don't think it is always a good thing that good
software is shared for free. I don't care much about software but I
care a lot about what I can achieve by using particular software as my
tool. I'm happy that some developers put a rather high price tag on
their product, because this guarantees that they will continue
supporting this product, meaning that I can use it for long time and
get good at it. I have prepared myself for the future by getting an
iLok USB dongle, so I can move my software licenses into that system,
as more developers start to support it. I only have one license on it
today, but it works perfectly! No problems using different computers,
just downloading the installer and using your personal iLok to
authorize your license. What you are paying for is not the software
but the skill and creative thinking among those who put it together in
the first place. There's no way "anyone with C++ on a lappie" can
create audio plug-ins as the SoundToys stuff! It's not about
programming, it's about understanding sound and music. If that would
be as easy as hacking C++, why are there so little really good music
software out there?

I disagree with Luis who said that Mobius is an example of quick
development. From what I've seen it's actually precisely the opposite;
the development pace of Mobius has followed its developers involvement
in other projects by a negative curve.  (totally ok for a freebie ;-)



On Sat, Sep 27, 2008 at 3:08 PM, Warren Sirota <wsirota@wsdesigns.com> 
wrote:

> I think there's a case (that has been made to me explicitly, actually)
> that even a free product like Mobius hurts the income of the EDP or
> other developers, but they didn't invent the concept either, just
> digitized it and refined it

I don't agree with this either. As an owner and frequent user of both
the EDP and Mobius I find them very different. I moved from the EDP
into using Mobius because I needed the scripting and the full half
tone based varispeed, which isn't part of the EDP concept.

-- 
Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.boysen.se (Swedish)
www.looproom.com (international)
www.myspace.com/perboysen
www.stockholm-athens.com