So who made you the Copyright Police? You can continue to post about this until the cows come home but I think most people are already tired of it and wondering why you're so pissed at Commodore USA with all the other infringement that goes on elsewhere. You've made your point and most people on this board are tired of hearing you whine about it.
Actually, I would hazard a wager that people are more tired of the "everybody does it, so it is okay" nonsense. Standing up for friends, colleagues, industry compatriots, or other people for that matter, is a necessity in this world. One should not, and does not, need the authority of a uniform or political credibility to do so. Would you sit quietly while someone robs your neighbor's house while he is on vacation?
I find it more amusing the amount of resistance to Piru's and others' brand of ethics and morality, and I have yet to read anything compelling to support the stance against.
I think it is a cultural difference.
I request elaboration.
The line of thinking probably went like this: maybe the image creator will never see the image and nobody will recognize it, therefore no problem. If it is recognized the worst that will happen is the creator will request that CUSA stop using it - once again no problem. CUSA is not yet selling anything, so it would be difficult even in the case of a lawsuit to claim damages. No money lost==okay.
What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Commodore USA has shown that it will with great vigor defend itself against perceived disrepute and other potentially negative publicity. But in the same move it ripped off a complaint letter with absolutely no bearing on the situation, and the very site it defended is using artwork copyrighted by merit of creation for commercial gain. In the case of a lawsuit, the mere violation Mr. Hirv's copyright is enough to garner at least a punitive reward.
Here in FL at the very least businesses will not only skirt the laws but will full on push them to the breaking point if they feel they can get away with it. The usual motivation is profit, but there are also a good number of egomaniacs running businesses here who just enjoy the feeling of power or getting away with something. Ethics rarely comes into the picture. Self-entitlement is king.
At the very least. Shady businesses exist everywhere, not just in Florida. At lot of the ones I deal with have been out of New York, California, and the Peoples Republic of China. I noticed Florida has been mentioned twice in relation to poor business acumen; I am curious about the sour grapes which apparently fester in Florida.
Correct me if I am wrong, but don't you work with Windows on a regular basis? If so, it would seem that business ethics only matter to you when it doesn't mean money in your pocket. If that is the case, you seem to be confused about what ethics mean.
Personally I think you are wrong about this CUSA, and do not think you are unethical for using Windows to make money, but you don't get it both ways. Either using Windows for work is unethical, or this guy is not.
Of course, Microsoft was sued by the United States Department of Justice and found guilty on many counts spanning 200+ pages. It also paid fines and settlements for its many transgressions therein. It was taken to task for the Stacker debacle, the direct result being DOS 6.22, as well as the deliberate crippling of Windows 3.x running on top of non-Microsoft DOS. It has paid through the nose for its various infractions, and in our system it has paid its debt to society. I believe the EU also has counts against it, some still in litigation. I would say that sets Microsoft and Commodore USA well apart from each other.
So, did you post that from your Apple computer? You know the one made by the infamous trade mark violators?
No, it was posted from his Linux computer. You know, the operating system full of code stolen from Unix. :hammer:
All in all, I think this thread could use a healthy dose of this,
