You should expect software companies to make more money and for prices to come down. Remember, there's not just one software company. This scheme would force some of the people who would copy software to buy it, increasing the profits to the software companies. So, why would the
Scott V. McGuire wrote: price
come down? Well, because of the increased profit margin, there is now room for the price to come down, and since there is competition among software companies, at least one of them will lower prices for the advantage it will give them. The others will have to follow.
And therefor I write: Of course that would be in a microsoft-less world where there wasn't one company who controlled huge market shares, who dominated the industry and who didn't have both government and 'big business' in their pocket. Microsoft is the great 'teflon corportation' able to shake off controversy after controversy regarding everything from hostile marketing strategies to product dumping. Since Microsoft already maintains a virtual monopoly I don't see how making the user pay will serve justice. In your world we'd have to pay for whatever inferiour product is handed to us... not only limiting our choice and freedom but making Microsoft that much more powerful. My two bits, take it or leave it. Dalban