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Re: The ethics of software emulations?





As a user of both free, open source sw and expensive, highly secure  
instruments and effects, I can say with 100% certainty, that the  
expensive software with elaborate security is far better.

I am actually surprised that the makers of Mobius and Sooperlooper  
weren't sued into the stone ages since the EDP was owned by Gibson,  
the most litigious company in the industry (just ask Paul Smith). But  
I don't think Gibson ever really gave a shit about that very small  
part of their company.

By the way, DX7 emulations are one of the most common free instruments  
out there. MDA has one that pretty good. But there are no shortage of  
them.

Also, I can't afford (or find) a good Pultec Eq, but there are plenty  
of very good emulations. Or Neve channel strips, etc etc.



On Sep 27, 2008, at 9:08 AM, Warren Sirota wrote:

> Of course, Art, you're not ripping off anyone because what you're
> doing is for educational purposes.
>
> I think there's a case (that has been made to me explicitly, actually)
> that even a free product like Mobius hurts the income of the EDP or
> other developers, but they didn't invent the concept either, just
> digitized it and refined it (considerably - and they might have "look
> and feel" type claims that would be considered valid). if they think
> there are sufficient grounds to pursue legal remedies, that's up to
> them - i'm not a lawyer. But still, it's up to them to worry about it
> - not on me to take sides, i'm not personal friends with any of the
> players in this game (and if *they're* not complaining vocally and
> publicly, I don't see any reason for anyone else to even think about
> it).
>
> But i think the high-tech patent/IP thing is out of control. if you
> need to sell hw to make a living (and it is a *far* better living than
> you could generally make selling sw, where theft is rife, perceived
> value is bizarrely low, and there are no barriers to competition
> whatsoever), then you have to figure out a way to provide something
> that people cannot get through sw. guitar players seem to inherently
> prefer hw - but that's balanced by its frequently high cost. if you
> can continue to make that skew to your favor, then you win. if not,
> you win less - but who guarantees anyone income for life from one
> product?
>
> Personally, I know someday I'm going to get a DX7 sw clone so I can
> recreate a piece I wrote for classical midi guitar in 1987. I'd love
> to get it free, but I'll pay for it - as I do for all my sw - if it's
> a commercial product. It's not on me to investigate whether or not
> they have legal licensing agreements with John Chowning, Stanford, and
> Yamaha.
>
> Look, we like to think the world is a fair place and our IP is safe.
> My sw is ripped off globally every day, but that's life and actually,
> that's not why I can't make a living from it (that's a whole 'nother
> saga). I put in a technological fix to stem the bleeding, which mostly
> worked (tho I despise having to devote more effort to security than
> features). But no-one is going to defend my rights except myself - the
> world is way past the law now, and features + security are the
> manufacturers' only defense.
>
> I don't get exercised over all this because I think about other laws
> that are routinely broken without second thought - particularly
> traffic laws and speed limits. Does anyone get really upset over this?
> Breaking these laws cost lives... how silly the IP laws tsuris seems
> in comparison.
>
> My conclusion: common law trumps written law, get over it.
>