Stephan, two part question, your answer to the first affects the second, if someone buys computer software and 'accepts' the EULA that states they must not copy or distribute the software, have they then not entered into an agreement that puts them under the same obligations as IP laws?
Thus, how would the development of computer software be possible in the absence of intellectual property? If your answer to the first part of the question is 'yes', this still would not protect the developers, as while the person who initially bought the software had broken the terms of the contract they entered, if that person were to sell it on to a third party for distribution (and thus could be sued), that third party would not have signed any contract with the developer and would be under no obligation not to share the software in the lack of IP laws.
If this were to happen, then obviously anyone could legally sell on pirated computer software at a fraction of the price the official developers would be charging (or give it away for free) without paying any royalties to the developers themselves without fear of any legal repercussions. In such an environment, would anyone really want to invest millions of dollars in developing software that we all need?
dystopianutopia8 karma
Stephan, two part question, your answer to the first affects the second, if someone buys computer software and 'accepts' the EULA that states they must not copy or distribute the software, have they then not entered into an agreement that puts them under the same obligations as IP laws?
Thus, how would the development of computer software be possible in the absence of intellectual property? If your answer to the first part of the question is 'yes', this still would not protect the developers, as while the person who initially bought the software had broken the terms of the contract they entered, if that person were to sell it on to a third party for distribution (and thus could be sued), that third party would not have signed any contract with the developer and would be under no obligation not to share the software in the lack of IP laws.
If this were to happen, then obviously anyone could legally sell on pirated computer software at a fraction of the price the official developers would be charging (or give it away for free) without paying any royalties to the developers themselves without fear of any legal repercussions. In such an environment, would anyone really want to invest millions of dollars in developing software that we all need?
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