Roger A. Coldwell
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Index Terms
- Viewpoint: did Chuck Babbage predict software piracy?
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John J. Hirschfelder
Coldwell notes that Charles Babbage did not patent any of his inventions, instead making them immediately available to others. After musing on the two current definitions of piracy (plunder on the high seas and copyright infringement) and expressing surprise at some of the current geographic centers of software piracy (especially Eastern Europe), he speculates that Babbage, were he alive and working in information technology today, would either give all software away or resort to elaborate copy-protection schemes. T he author feels that this would distinguish Babbage from most current workers in the copyright protection area, who are wrapped up in legal rather than social or technological issues.
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