17 Dec
2003
17 Dec
'03
11:17 p.m.
Jason Zions says:
So answer the question again, what is the difference in paying an internet provider for access to usenet, and paying a cd-rom provider for access to usenet?
It's the difference between listening to the radio yourself and buying a home-made tape of the radio program from someone else. The first is legal; the second is, generally, not.
The reason selling a tape of a radio show isn't legal is because then you can play it as often as you like. On the other hand, usenet is already distributed in a form that lets you read the messages as often as you like. You can archive them forever, and in fact thats part of the news software. .pm