[P1] OT: Software Licensing

[e.mkeene]

> The McDonld's analogy doesn't work either because no one is suggesting
> we get something free. Only that we should be able to use what we
> bought on our own computers.

Thanks, Ron, I think you just gave me the missing piece that might get 
this analogy on track.

Example 1:
I go into MacDonald's and buy a burger. I sit down, open it and take a 
bite or two. A woman comes in with a bunch of young birthday kids. I 
suddenly realize the noise level is going to be more than I can cope 
with. My hunger has been sated a bit. I decide to take the rest of the 
burger to a quieter place so I can enjoy the meal. I DO NOT have to ask 
the manager or MacDonald's for permission to take the rest of the 
burger out of the restaurant, I do not have to pay the price of another 
burger because I am eating it in an "unauthorized" place. Once I pay 
for the burger, I get to choose when, where, how much I eat and I can 
change my mind as many times as I need to or want to.

(If I take the burger to another restaurant, sit down, order nothing 
and eat my burger, I owe that restaurant a fee for occupying a table 
that could have produced income had I not been using it. In effect, I 
am renting a table in a quieter restaurant and they have the right to 
charge me a hefty fee if it is their peak use time,)

Example 2:
I go into MacDonald's and buy a burger. I sit down, open it and take a 
bite or two. I glance at the clock on the wall, realize I am going to 
be late for an important meeting. I scoop up the burger, throw it on 
the seat and drive off to my meeting, munching on the way. I did not 
have to ask the manager or MacDonald's for permission to take the rest 
of the burger out of the restaurant, I do not have to pay the price of 
another burger because I am eating it in an "unauthorized" place. I get 
to my meeting before I finish the burger, so I leave it in the car. 
After my meeting, I don't want the rest of the burger so I take it home 
for a late night snack. Once I paid for the burger, I chose when, 
where, and how much I ate and I could change my mind as many times as I 
need to or want to.

Example 3:
I go into MacDonald's and buy a burger. I sit down, open it and take a 
bite or two. I happen to be a restaurant owner and realize this burger 
will illustrate to my cook staff better than any words could, what I 
expect from them by way of quality. I grab the  sandwich, drive back to 
the restaurant, put it down and say, "try this and tell me what you 
think of it". The chef takes a bite from the side I didn't eat, and we 
start to dialog about our concepts of food quality. I did not have to 
ask the manager or MacDonald's for permission to take the rest of the 
burger out of the restaurant (even though I was using it in a 
"competitive" way), I did not have to pay the price of another burger 
because I would be eating it in an "unauthorized" place. I did not have 
to pay another fee because I was going to share the burger. Once I paid 
for the burger, I chose when, where, and how much I ate, who I shared 
it with, how much the other person ate and the intent use of my 
purchase changed as I used it.

Example 4:
I go into MacDonald's and buy a burger. I sit down, open it and take a 
bite or two. I happen to be a restaurant owner and realize this burger 
will illustrate to my cook staff better than any words could, what I 
expect from them by way of quality and appearance. Not wanting to ask 
my chef to eat from the same burger I have eaten from, I order another 
burger. I take both burgers back to the restaurant and sit down with 
the chef. Wanting to be sure that both burgers taste the same, I cut a 
piece off the second burger and taste it.

It is an identical match to the first one. I ask the chef to taste it, 
He cuts off a piece of the second burger and tastes it. (We both have a 
bite of the burger in our mouths at the same time.) Curious about how 
consistent this quality is, he then cuts off a piece of the first 
burger (I have not subjected him to this task, he has volunteered to 
test and compare as an extension of our dialog) and tastes it.

When we were taking bites one at a time, we were not eating the burger 
at the same time, only one was eating at a time. However, there was a 
time when we both had pieces of the burger in our mouth at the same 
time.  I did not have to pay the price of another burger because I 
would be eating it in an "unauthorized" place and sharing it. Because 
my needs required 2 "copies" of the burger, I bought and used 2 copies 
in 2 different locations. My needs drove how many burgers I bought. 
Once I paid for the burgers, I chose when, where, and how much I ate, 
who I shared it with (or not) and I changed my use as needs dictated.