Re: [d@DCC] Copyright Review - computer programs

From: Chris Palmer <cpalmer _-at-_ accesscable.net>
To: General Discussion <discuss (at) digital-copyright.ca>
Date: Sun, 19 Oct 2003 14:35:33 -0300
References: <3F9135CC.19925.D1A913@localhost>

Please ponder the consequences of what you are asking for.

a. Professional liability insurance would probably be requiired for all
programmers.  This would eliminate the large pool of student and part time
programmers, it would be illegal or dangerous for anyone without insurance
to release a program or contribute to open source projects.

b. The various engineering societies would like to use this as a power
grab - try calling yourself a "Software Engineer" in Canada unless you
really are a P.Eng. Make software liability an issue and the engineering
societies will lobby to make software engineering a registered profession
like other engineering disciplines, and all software programs must be
designed, managed, and or certified by a professional engineer.

c. Consider the cost of a Linux distribution if it had to include liability
insurance for each program. Then who takes liability when someone modifies a
program? The gnu/fsf  or some guy in Bulgaria?

d. In general, the big guys like Microsoft will thrive and the little guys
will disappear.

Let sleeping dogs lie,  Tom.

Chris

> 4. Most software makers refuse to guarantee their software works correctly
and
> refuse to accept responsibility if it doesn't. This is unacceptable in a
> consumer product. Software differs from books: it has a purpose.
Manufacturers
> should not be able to threaten others with the Copyright act on one hand
and
> yet be absolved when their product is faulty. When a product advertises
certain
> capabilities, the seller should be responsible for the capabilities
working
> properly.
>
> Software capability claims should be enforceable without limitation.
>
> tOM Trottier
> --------- (nota bene: case of "tOM" is correct)
> tOM A. Trottier,        +1 613 860-6633
> 758 Albert St, Ottawa ON Canada K1R 7V8
> ---------
> "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little
> temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
> -- Benjamin Franklin
>
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