Author: Dann Corbit
Date: 11:06:15 02/17/99
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When you take source code of a project under development, it is like stealing
the manuscript of a play while it is being written. No more nor less noble than
stealing a finished product.
There are millions of lines of public domain software available, including a few
chess programs. I have personally donated public domain software that I have
written. In such a case, you are free to do absolutely anything with it. But
unless an author rescinds his rights, the software copyright belongs to him.
You are considering an ethical ground, and indeed, ethical standards are in a
sense higher even than legal standards if they are just. However, if we are
breaking the law for no other reason than to benefit ourselves, then there is no
possible justification for such glory seeking, greedy conduct. It is a shame
and not an advancement. If my government gave me a gun and said "You positively
must shoot Fernando upon pain of death." I would have to disobey. There is a
higher standard of "Love {even} your enemy and do good {even} to those
persecuting you." that I will obey over the legal call. If I should love even
my enemy, how could I ever do harm against my friend? But there is no such
ethical standard at stake here.
There is an underlying point which you may be trying to express, and which I
agree with fully. You cannot copyright nor patent mathematics. That is a legal
standard that the entire world recognizes. So the *principles* in Dr. Hyatt's
software are free game. You can learn about anything he does and do the same
thing yourself. You just can't do a simple cut and paste of his work. You have
to learn and understand it first and make your own implementation.
Perhaps this is what you are alluding to -- that software should be free.
Indeed, the ideas in software are free (unless patented -- but that is not at
issue here).
Aside: Personally, I don't care for software patents. I think they are akin to
patenting math. However, in case of a software patent, I will obey the law
because my interpretation has no superiority over the legal one.
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