[CS-FSLUG] Proprietary Software: Capitalism or Greed?

[Robert W.]

On Mon, 27 Mar 2006 18:48:28 -0600 doc <edoc7 at verizon.net> wrote:
> The rules of clear reasoning have been violated here
> such that an irrational assumption followed by logical
> steps has resulted in an irrational conclusion.
> 
> The assumption is that the product of a person's labor
> is only valueless and subject to uncompensated theft
> if it is software.
> 
> Let's apply this consistently and watch the entire
> productivity of the world drop dramatically.
> 
> The reality is that the product of a person's creativity
> and labor is his or hers to price as he or she chooses,
> the marketplace rules only engage *after* that point.
> If the price and value are a good match to the need or
> desire of the consumer the product will sell, if price
> is out of balance with need or desire it will not.

I agree 100%. And I don't think that runs contrary to my argument at
all.

Assume for the sake of argument that copyright doesn't exist. If you
sell software, then you sell all of the rights to use it in any way
possible (similar to selling an actual item, like a car). Let's say the
software costs $200.

Someone pays $200 for your software. Then they make a perfect copy at
almost no cost to themselves. They place it on a web site whose cost
they subsidize from other work. And anyone can download a perfect,
working copy, at no charge. How many other people will pay you $200? A
few. But only a small percentage of those who end up using that
software.

You will only get $200 per copy because of the government granted
monopoly through copyrights. That is not a free market. Therefore it is
not capitalism.

I am not making any argument for or against copyrights. I'm just
answering the question posed.

-- 
Robert W.
robertwo at insightbb.com

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love 
him, who have been called according to his purpose. -- Romans 8:28