Low prices key to stop software piracy<\/p>\n
By Zatni Arbi<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): It was indeed a funny coincidence that I should
\nreceive a 14-page news release faxed directly from a major
\nsoftware vendor in Singapore right after I presented my personal
\nviews on software piracy in my article last week.<\/p>\n
Although I know that stealing is stealing and that it is a
\nblack-and-white matter, the news release does shed some light on
\nthe rather shoddy business practices of one of the world's
\nleading software companies.<\/p>\n
According to this faxed news release, we'll all soon be
\nhearing about a consent decree reached very recently between this
\nparticular software company, the U.S. Department of Justice and
\nthe European Commission's Directorate General for Competition.<\/p>\n
The consent decree will, in essence, end the anti-competition
\npractices that the company has been exercising all this time.
\nAmong other things, the company will have to stop forcing PC
\nmanufacturers to pay royalties although they are not selling
\ntheir PC's with its operating system.<\/p>\n
Now, do you have any idea who's been paying for all these
\nroyalties all these years? It's definitely not the computer
\nvendors themselves. It's us, the computer buyers, since all costs
\nare always passed on to the customers.<\/p>\n
DoubleSpace case<\/p>\n
Perhaps you have also heard that MS DOS 6.21 has been
\nreleased. The only difference it has from MS DOS 6.2 is that
\nthere's no DoubleSpace data compression utility. Stac
\nElectronics, the maker of Stacker, has won an already widely
\npublished lawsuit against Microsoft Corporation, as the latter
\nhas illegally incorporated some of the compression techniques
\nbelonging to Stacker in its DoubleSpace. On the other hand,
\nMicrosoft has also won over Stac Electronics, as the latter has
\nreverse-engineered DoubleSpace's ability to get loaded before
\nCONFIG.SYS is read.<\/p>\n
What interests us here is the fact that software vendors have
\nbeen proven before the court of law that they are guilty of
\nviolating each other's property rights. Is it really such a big
\ndeal now that so many unlicensed users are using their products?<\/p>\n
Affordable<\/p>\n
I strongly believe that the only way we can encourage people
\nto buy original software is by making it really affordable for
\naverage users with average incomes. In this connection, I would
\nlike to give a hearty round of applause to Lotus Development
\nCorp.'s representatives for Indonesia for their exemplary
\nstrategy.<\/p>\n
Last week, during a Lotus products presentation, their dealers
\nannounced their offering of bundled Ami Pro 3.01 and Lotus 1-2-3
\nfor Windows Release 4.0 for US$360.00. If you happen to have an
\noriginal copy from a competing product, you can have the bundle
\nfor US$ 150.00. Now, with such a low price for two superb
\nsoftware programs, I really think there should be no more reason
\nfor corporate organizations and government offices in this coun
\ntry to keep using pirated copies.<\/p>\n
I am convinced that lowering the price does not necessarily
\nmean losing money. If you were selling cookies and they were not
\nselling and were getting spoiled because they were too expensive,
\nwouldn't it be more reasonable to sell the cookies at a lower
\nprice? By selling more copies, I believe vendors will be able to
\nmaintain their profitability and the technological performance of
\ntheir R&D department.<\/p>\n
How I wish more and more software publishers were making the
\nsame move as Lotus. That is, making their products more afford
\nable in this country.<\/p>\n
U.S. prices<\/p>\n
For those of you who don't have access to U.S.-based computer
\nmagazines, here's a sample of the latest prices of popular software
\noffered by MicroWarehouse, one of the oldest mail-order
\ncompanies in that country: PageMaker 5.0, $589.00; Borland C++
\n4.0, $339.95; Borland Paradox for Windows 4.5, $139.95; Quattro
\nPro for Windows 5.0, $45.95; PCTools for Windows 2.0, $95.95;
\n1-2-3 for Windows 4.0, 309.95; Ami Pro 3.01, $269.95; Excel 5.0,
\n$ 299.95; FoxPro for Windows 2.6, $89.95; Winword 6.0, $299.95;
\nCorelDRAW! 5.0 (Diskettes), $599.95; CorelDRAW! 5.0 (CD),
\n$469.95; Norton Desktop for Windows 3.0, $109.95 and Norton
\nUtilities 8.0, $114.95.<\/p>\n
In addition, here are the upgrade prices offered by WordPer
\nfect Corp. until August 1994: WordPerfect 5.1+, $49.95; WordPer
\nfect 6.0b for DOS, $99.00, and WordPerfect 6.0a for Windows,
\n$99.00. Can you believe this? For comparison, you're free to
\ncheck the prices of the same products at local dealers.<\/p>\n
Let's make it clear once again. Let's get the message through.
\nIf software programs were as \"uncopyable\" or \"unpirateable\" as
\nHonda Accords, there wouldn't be so much enthusiasm around for
\ncomputer products. Computer exhibitions wouldn't be as packed as
\nthey are now. People in offices and schools wouldn't be as
\nfamiliar with the highly technical nitty-gritty of computer
\nhardware and software as they are now. Consequently, there
\nwouldn't be so much demand for original software, either.<\/p>\n
If software publishers really worry about the increasing rate
\nof software piracy, there's only one thing they can do: Lower the
\nprice, particularly in developing countries in which software
\npiracy is claimed to be rampant. Most important of all, set a
\ngood example to computer users! Be honest to each other before
\ndemanding software users to be honest.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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