[Asterisk-Users] Digium and mailing lists

[Christian Hoffmeyer]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jay Milk" <jay at skimmilk.net>
To: "'Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion'" 
<asterisk-users at lists.digium.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2004 4:35 PM
Subject: RE: [Asterisk-Users] Digium and mailing lists


> You're free to express your
> discontent about G.729 licensing issues, but you're not allowed to
> advertise a way to *steal* the software.  In other terms, you are
> allowed to loudly and eloquently disagree with the price of goods, but
> your disapproval does not give you the right to steal it -- or explain
> to others how to steal and get away with it.

I may agree with you from a moralistic point of view, but I'd like to 
understand how instructions makes the author of the instructions liable for 
any illegal activity committed by someone who used the instructions.

Should Microsoft be liable because someone wrote a virus after reading a 
Visual Studio Macro How-To?

Should a screwdriver manufacturer be liable for my house being robbed 
because their instructions tell you how much torque their screwdriver can 
sustain and the robber got the idea to jimmy my window open?

If I give you a knife and the instructions on how to slaughter livestock in 
a Kosher manner then you go out and slaughter some humans, am I responsible 
for their murder?

Is Intel just as at fault in this situation in your opinion?

If someone explains how to use development code and someone chooses to 
commit an illegal act with it, why should the author be punished?

As for the mode of transmission, was Microsoft responsible because the 9/11 
terrorists communicated via hotmail?

J.Christian Hoffmeyer