And I get tired of the "argument" that the store owner _deserves_ to control sales of the "magically-duplicating" chocolate bar.
Disregarding the store-owner:
If a StarTrek-type replicator is created, and it allows you to download a pattern for a chocolate bar or any other item - How long do you think it will be until manufacturers are lobbying for stricter physical item copyright laws?
Cloth makers already crack down on companies that make cheap copies using their brand, and I've seen the argument that if people see their brand on crap clothes their trademark loses in value. But what if you copy the quality and change the name to something else?
Would manufacturers have a right to prevent people from copying their items and giving them away?
If you remember the survey from last year, it was pretty obvious that a lot of people write open source programs for Linux. It's also very common to distribute those in source form.
If Borland wants to release their IDE and have the largest market possible, they want to be able to let programmers release their borland made products in source form. If that is to be possible the users that installs the product need the borland compiler/librarys to compile it.
So the programmer buys Delphi or C++ Builder and can release the product in source form. The user can get a free compiler to use it. And I should add I use C++ Builder for Win and will get it for Linux when available. It's great for quick prototyping!
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Disregarding the store-owner:
If a StarTrek-type replicator is created, and it allows you to download a pattern for a chocolate bar or any other item - How long do you think it will be until manufacturers are lobbying for stricter physical item copyright laws?
Cloth makers already crack down on companies that make cheap copies using their brand, and I've seen the argument that if people see their brand on crap clothes their trademark loses in value. But what if you copy the quality and change the name to something else?
Would manufacturers have a right to prevent people from copying their items and giving them away?
I'm just curious.
I don't think so.
If you remember the survey from last year, it was pretty obvious that a lot of people write open source programs for Linux. It's also very common to distribute those in source form.
If Borland wants to release their IDE and have the largest market possible, they want to be able to let programmers release their borland made products in source form.
If that is to be possible the users that installs the product need the borland compiler/librarys to compile it.
So the programmer buys Delphi or C++ Builder and can release the product in source form. The user can get a free compiler to use it.
And I should add I use C++ Builder for Win and will get it for Linux when available. It's great for quick prototyping!