Re: Iran, copyright, Matlab and Octave

[Thorsten Liebig]

Am 10.04.2013 15:15, schrieb Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso:
> On 10 April 2013 09:07, Andy Buckle <address@hidden> wrote:
>> I would add that, even if it is not illegal in Iran to copy Matlab freely,
>> it is still immoral.
> I don't think so. Copying is not wrong. Copying is not theft:
>
>     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU7axyrHWDQ
>
> The Mathworks isn't actually losing anything by having Matlab being
> copied. It's just not *gaining* anything monetarily, but they are
> gaining mindshare. For this reason, most of the time TMW turns a blind
> eye to the rampant copyright infringement. Some of the most benign
> actions, such as taking a Matlab m-file, modifying it, and hosting it
> along with your own Matlab package are actually copyright
> infringement, but few would think this is immoral.
>
> As long as everyone is using Matlab, TMW can still profit from it one
> way or another, whether with license fees today outside Iran, or
> license fees tomorrow when our Matlab-addicted Iranian student goes to
> a country where copyright lawsuits are profitable.
>
> Copying Matlab isn't any more wrong than copying Octave is. Just
> because we don't try to guilt trip you into thinking copying Octave
> isn't wrong, doesn't mean the action is any different than copying
> Matlab. We would like you to pay for Octave as much as TMW wants you
> to pay for Matlab, but we don't guilt trip you into doing so by
> calling you names like "pirate" if you don't pay. Because really, we
> aren't losing anything.
>
> - Jordi G. H.
>

Andy said nothing about theft.

It is just, Mathworks says: If you want to use our product/our work, pay for 
it, otherwise we will not allow its usage.
If you just use it anyways and dont' respect their wish, then that is the 
immoral part. IMHO

And that is where Octave is different, you encourage to copy and use it and 
spread it to everyone...
And that is why people should choose Octave over Matlab ...

br
Thorsten