Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1997-12.adf » PD » InterGif6/!InterGif/Copying

InterGif6/!InterGif/Copying

This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.

Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.

Tape/disk: Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1997-12.adf » PD
Filename: InterGif6/!InterGif/Copying
Read OK: ✔
File size: 0FC6 bytes
Load address: 0000
Exec address: 0000
Duplicates

There is 1 duplicate copy of this file in the archive:

File contents
        (K) All Rites Reversed

    I, Peter Hartley, wrote this program, InterGif. Under the laws of
England and every other country I know of, this gives me the right to
put my name to it, and withholds that right from everyone else unless
I choose to bestow it. If someone else made a copy of InterGif,
removed my name from all over it, replaced it with theirs, and
distributed the program further as an example of how cool *they* were,
they'd be doing a wrong thing -- and I think most people would agree
with the law on that one.
    But the laws of England and many other countries give me an
additional, unrelated right. They would allow me to give you -- or
even *sell* you -- a copy of the program, and yet prohibit you from
giving further copies away to your friends! This "copy right" can, and
does, lead to the absurd situation in which a simple copy command -- a
command built into every sensible operating system -- can become a
criminal act. Some even speak of this act as a "theft" from the
program's authors, even though it has removed from them no physical
property (the act can take place hundreds of miles from their homes,
and without them even noticing) and no intellectual property either
(the new copy still contains the original authors' names).
    I believe it would be morally untenable to exercise this "copy
right", in just the same way as I choose for moral reasons not to
exercise another right English law gives me: that of killing foxes for
fun.
    This piece of software does not have the "�" or "(C)" symbol or
any other invocation of copy right attached to it. It contains instead
the (K) symbol and the words "All Rites Reversed", indicating that no
unrealistic restrictions are placed on your use and your friends' use
of it. Copy what you like; use it for what you like. Just give me due
credit. (As I understand it, you're in fact *legally obliged* to give
me due credit. But that shouldn't be *why* you're doing it!)
    No information in this program is of a personally damaging (to me)
or nationally damaging (to England) nature. These two cases (and the
latter only dubiously) are the only ones I can think of where a
restriction on copying would make sense -- but of course, I would only
reveal personally damaging information to individuals I personally
trusted anyway, whether in an electronic or oral form. If I didn't
personally trust them, I'd make them sign a contract saying they
wouldn't pass on the information, and I think they'd appreciate the
reason for that.
    If, on the other hand, I was making someone I didn't know sign
such a contract regarding a certain piece of information for the sole
reason that I could then make more money by signing similar contracts
with other people I didn't know, then I'd hope that person would be a
little disgusted. Perhaps not too disgusted to refuse to sign,
exclaiming that the information wasn't worth that (some information,
sadly, just isn't available in other ways) -- but, I hope, left with a
nagging nasty taste anyway.
    
    Now, I have your signature on no contract; for some readers of
these words, I haven't even ever met you. I'm having to trust you
anyway not to thieve my intellectual property from me by passing off
these words or programs as your own. It would be logistically
extremely difficult to ensure, whether by legal or technical means,
that intellectual property rights were not infringed.
    But on the whole, I *do* trust you. You might turn out to be a
rogue, but at least I've acquitted myself: by trusting you, I've not
made myself a rogue. Trusting people is not necessarily the Correct
Answer (some people, such as John Lennon, have had worse crimes than
theft committed against them because of it) but it is at least the
Right Answer.

    Having read this document, you get no prizes for working out that
I've read the GNU Manifesto. But I believe that exercising copyright
means war, and in any war (to "copy" shamelessly the conclusion to the
film War Games) the only winning move is not to play.

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00000010  20 52 69 74 65 73 20 52  65 76 65 72 73 65 64 0a  | Rites Reversed.|
00000020  0a 20 20 20 20 49 2c 20  50 65 74 65 72 20 48 61  |.    I, Peter Ha|
00000030  72 74 6c 65 79 2c 20 77  72 6f 74 65 20 74 68 69  |rtley, wrote thi|
00000040  73 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61  6d 2c 20 49 6e 74 65 72  |s program, Inter|
00000050  47 69 66 2e 20 55 6e 64  65 72 20 74 68 65 20 6c  |Gif. Under the l|
00000060  61 77 73 20 6f 66 0a 45  6e 67 6c 61 6e 64 20 61  |aws of.England a|
00000070  6e 64 20 65 76 65 72 79  20 6f 74 68 65 72 20 63  |nd every other c|
00000080  6f 75 6e 74 72 79 20 49  20 6b 6e 6f 77 20 6f 66  |ountry I know of|
00000090  2c 20 74 68 69 73 20 67  69 76 65 73 20 6d 65 20  |, this gives me |
000000a0  74 68 65 20 72 69 67 68  74 20 74 6f 0a 70 75 74  |the right to.put|
000000b0  20 6d 79 20 6e 61 6d 65  20 74 6f 20 69 74 2c 20  | my name to it, |
000000c0  61 6e 64 20 77 69 74 68  68 6f 6c 64 73 20 74 68  |and withholds th|
000000d0  61 74 20 72 69 67 68 74  20 66 72 6f 6d 20 65 76  |at right from ev|
000000e0  65 72 79 6f 6e 65 20 65  6c 73 65 20 75 6e 6c 65  |eryone else unle|
000000f0  73 73 0a 49 20 63 68 6f  6f 73 65 20 74 6f 20 62  |ss.I choose to b|
00000100  65 73 74 6f 77 20 69 74  2e 20 49 66 20 73 6f 6d  |estow it. If som|
00000110  65 6f 6e 65 20 65 6c 73  65 20 6d 61 64 65 20 61  |eone else made a|
00000120  20 63 6f 70 79 20 6f 66  20 49 6e 74 65 72 47 69  | copy of InterGi|
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000001b0  79 2a 20 77 65 72 65 2c  0a 74 68 65 79 27 64 20  |y* were,.they'd |
000001c0  62 65 20 64 6f 69 6e 67  20 61 20 77 72 6f 6e 67  |be doing a wrong|
000001d0  20 74 68 69 6e 67 20 2d  2d 20 61 6e 64 20 49 20  | thing -- and I |
000001e0  74 68 69 6e 6b 20 6d 6f  73 74 20 70 65 6f 70 6c  |think most peopl|
000001f0  65 20 77 6f 75 6c 64 20  61 67 72 65 65 0a 77 69  |e would agree.wi|
00000200  74 68 20 74 68 65 20 6c  61 77 20 6f 6e 20 74 68  |th the law on th|
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000002f0  70 69 65 73 20 61 77 61  79 20 74 6f 20 79 6f 75  |pies away to you|
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00000330  20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20  61 62 73 75 72 64 20 73  | to the absurd s|
00000340  69 74 75 61 74 69 6f 6e  20 69 6e 20 77 68 69 63  |ituation in whic|
00000350  68 20 61 20 73 69 6d 70  6c 65 20 63 6f 70 79 20  |h a simple copy |
00000360  63 6f 6d 6d 61 6e 64 20  2d 2d 20 61 0a 63 6f 6d  |command -- a.com|
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000003a0  2d 2d 20 63 61 6e 20 62  65 63 6f 6d 65 20 61 0a  |-- can become a.|
000003b0  63 72 69 6d 69 6e 61 6c  20 61 63 74 2e 20 53 6f  |criminal act. So|
000003c0  6d 65 20 65 76 65 6e 20  73 70 65 61 6b 20 6f 66  |me even speak of|
000003d0  20 74 68 69 73 20 61 63  74 20 61 73 20 61 20 22  | this act as a "|
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000003f0  70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 27  73 20 61 75 74 68 6f 72  |program's author|
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00000470  72 20 68 6f 6d 65 73 2c  0a 61 6e 64 20 77 69 74  |r homes,.and wit|
00000480  68 6f 75 74 20 74 68 65  6d 20 65 76 65 6e 20 6e  |hout them even n|
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000004c0  65 20 6e 65 77 20 63 6f  70 79 20 73 74 69 6c 6c  |e new copy still|
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000004e0  69 67 69 6e 61 6c 20 61  75 74 68 6f 72 73 27 20  |iginal authors' |
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00000500  6c 69 65 76 65 20 69 74  20 77 6f 75 6c 64 20 62  |lieve it would b|
00000510  65 20 6d 6f 72 61 6c 6c  79 20 75 6e 74 65 6e 61  |e morally untena|
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00000540  22 2c 20 69 6e 20 6a 75  73 74 20 74 68 65 20 73  |", in just the s|
00000550  61 6d 65 20 77 61 79 20  61 73 20 49 20 63 68 6f  |ame way as I cho|
00000560  6f 73 65 20 66 6f 72 20  6d 6f 72 61 6c 20 72 65  |ose for moral re|
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000005a0  67 69 76 65 73 20 6d 65  3a 20 74 68 61 74 20 6f  |gives me: that o|
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000005d0  73 20 70 69 65 63 65 20  6f 66 20 73 6f 66 74 77  |s piece of softw|
000005e0  61 72 65 20 64 6f 65 73  20 6e 6f 74 20 68 61 76  |are does not hav|
000005f0  65 20 74 68 65 20 22 a9  22 20 6f 72 20 22 28 43  |e the "." or "(C|
00000600  29 22 20 73 79 6d 62 6f  6c 20 6f 72 0a 61 6e 79  |)" symbol or.any|
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000006d0  75 72 20 66 72 69 65 6e  64 73 27 20 75 73 65 0a  |ur friends' use.|
000006e0  6f 66 20 69 74 2e 20 43  6f 70 79 20 77 68 61 74  |of it. Copy what|
000006f0  20 79 6f 75 20 6c 69 6b  65 3b 20 75 73 65 20 69  | you like; use i|
00000700  74 20 66 6f 72 20 77 68  61 74 20 79 6f 75 20 6c  |t for what you l|
00000710  69 6b 65 2e 20 4a 75 73  74 20 67 69 76 65 20 6d  |ike. Just give m|
00000720  65 20 64 75 65 0a 63 72  65 64 69 74 2e 20 28 41  |e due.credit. (A|
00000730  73 20 49 20 75 6e 64 65  72 73 74 61 6e 64 20 69  |s I understand i|
00000740  74 2c 20 79 6f 75 27 72  65 20 69 6e 20 66 61 63  |t, you're in fac|
00000750  74 20 2a 6c 65 67 61 6c  6c 79 20 6f 62 6c 69 67  |t *legally oblig|
00000760  65 64 2a 20 74 6f 20 67  69 76 65 0a 6d 65 20 64  |ed* to give.me d|
00000770  75 65 20 63 72 65 64 69  74 2e 20 42 75 74 20 74  |ue credit. But t|
00000780  68 61 74 20 73 68 6f 75  6c 64 6e 27 74 20 62 65  |hat shouldn't be|
00000790  20 2a 77 68 79 2a 20 79  6f 75 27 72 65 20 64 6f  | *why* you're do|
000007a0  69 6e 67 20 69 74 21 29  0a 20 20 20 20 4e 6f 20  |ing it!).    No |
000007b0  69 6e 66 6f 72 6d 61 74  69 6f 6e 20 69 6e 20 74  |information in t|
000007c0  68 69 73 20 70 72 6f 67  72 61 6d 20 69 73 20 6f  |his program is o|
000007d0  66 20 61 20 70 65 72 73  6f 6e 61 6c 6c 79 20 64  |f a personally d|
000007e0  61 6d 61 67 69 6e 67 20  28 74 6f 20 6d 65 29 0a  |amaging (to me).|
000007f0  6f 72 20 6e 61 74 69 6f  6e 61 6c 6c 79 20 64 61  |or nationally da|
00000800  6d 61 67 69 6e 67 20 28  74 6f 20 45 6e 67 6c 61  |maging (to Engla|
00000810  6e 64 29 20 6e 61 74 75  72 65 2e 20 54 68 65 73  |nd) nature. Thes|
00000820  65 20 74 77 6f 20 63 61  73 65 73 20 28 61 6e 64  |e two cases (and|
00000830  20 74 68 65 0a 6c 61 74  74 65 72 20 6f 6e 6c 79  | the.latter only|
00000840  20 64 75 62 69 6f 75 73  6c 79 29 20 61 72 65 20  | dubiously) are |
00000850  74 68 65 20 6f 6e 6c 79  20 6f 6e 65 73 20 49 20  |the only ones I |
00000860  63 61 6e 20 74 68 69 6e  6b 20 6f 66 20 77 68 65  |can think of whe|
00000870  72 65 20 61 0a 72 65 73  74 72 69 63 74 69 6f 6e  |re a.restriction|
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00000890  64 20 6d 61 6b 65 20 73  65 6e 73 65 20 2d 2d 20  |d make sense -- |
000008a0  62 75 74 20 6f 66 20 63  6f 75 72 73 65 2c 20 49  |but of course, I|
000008b0  20 77 6f 75 6c 64 20 6f  6e 6c 79 0a 72 65 76 65  | would only.reve|
000008c0  61 6c 20 70 65 72 73 6f  6e 61 6c 6c 79 20 64 61  |al personally da|
000008d0  6d 61 67 69 6e 67 20 69  6e 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 69  |maging informati|
000008e0  6f 6e 20 74 6f 20 69 6e  64 69 76 69 64 75 61 6c  |on to individual|
000008f0  73 20 49 20 70 65 72 73  6f 6e 61 6c 6c 79 0a 74  |s I personally.t|
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00000930  66 6f 72 6d 2e 20 49 66  20 49 20 64 69 64 6e 27  |form. If I didn'|
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00000950  73 74 20 74 68 65 6d 2c  20 49 27 64 20 6d 61 6b  |st them, I'd mak|
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000009a0  69 6f 6e 2c 20 61 6e 64  20 49 20 74 68 69 6e 6b  |ion, and I think|
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000009f0  64 2c 20 49 20 77 61 73  20 6d 61 6b 69 6e 67 20  |d, I was making |
00000a00  73 6f 6d 65 6f 6e 65 20  49 20 64 69 64 6e 27 74  |someone I didn't|
00000a10  20 6b 6e 6f 77 20 73 69  67 6e 0a 73 75 63 68 20  | know sign.such |
00000a20  61 20 63 6f 6e 74 72 61  63 74 20 72 65 67 61 72  |a contract regar|
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00000a50  69 6f 6e 20 66 6f 72 20  74 68 65 20 73 6f 6c 65  |ion for the sole|
00000a60  0a 72 65 61 73 6f 6e 20  74 68 61 74 20 49 20 63  |.reason that I c|
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00000a90  6e 69 6e 67 20 73 69 6d  69 6c 61 72 20 63 6f 6e  |ning similar con|
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00000ab0  72 20 70 65 6f 70 6c 65  20 49 20 64 69 64 6e 27  |r people I didn'|
00000ac0  74 20 6b 6e 6f 77 2c 20  74 68 65 6e 20 49 27 64  |t know, then I'd|
00000ad0  20 68 6f 70 65 20 74 68  61 74 20 70 65 72 73 6f  | hope that perso|
00000ae0  6e 20 77 6f 75 6c 64 20  62 65 20 61 0a 6c 69 74  |n would be a.lit|
00000af0  74 6c 65 20 64 69 73 67  75 73 74 65 64 2e 20 50  |tle disgusted. P|
00000b00  65 72 68 61 70 73 20 6e  6f 74 20 74 6f 6f 20 64  |erhaps not too d|
00000b10  69 73 67 75 73 74 65 64  20 74 6f 20 72 65 66 75  |isgusted to refu|
00000b20  73 65 20 74 6f 20 73 69  67 6e 2c 0a 65 78 63 6c  |se to sign,.excl|
00000b30  61 69 6d 69 6e 67 20 74  68 61 74 20 74 68 65 20  |aiming that the |
00000b40  69 6e 66 6f 72 6d 61 74  69 6f 6e 20 77 61 73 6e  |information wasn|
00000b50  27 74 20 77 6f 72 74 68  20 74 68 61 74 20 28 73  |'t worth that (s|
00000b60  6f 6d 65 20 69 6e 66 6f  72 6d 61 74 69 6f 6e 2c  |ome information,|
00000b70  0a 73 61 64 6c 79 2c 20  6a 75 73 74 20 69 73 6e  |.sadly, just isn|
00000b80  27 74 20 61 76 61 69 6c  61 62 6c 65 20 69 6e 20  |'t available in |
00000b90  6f 74 68 65 72 20 77 61  79 73 29 20 2d 2d 20 62  |other ways) -- b|
00000ba0  75 74 2c 20 49 20 68 6f  70 65 2c 20 6c 65 66 74  |ut, I hope, left|
00000bb0  20 77 69 74 68 20 61 0a  6e 61 67 67 69 6e 67 20  | with a.nagging |
00000bc0  6e 61 73 74 79 20 74 61  73 74 65 20 61 6e 79 77  |nasty taste anyw|
00000bd0  61 79 2e 0a 20 20 20 20  0a 20 20 20 20 4e 6f 77  |ay..    .    Now|
00000be0  2c 20 49 20 68 61 76 65  20 79 6f 75 72 20 73 69  |, I have your si|
00000bf0  67 6e 61 74 75 72 65 20  6f 6e 20 6e 6f 20 63 6f  |gnature on no co|
00000c00  6e 74 72 61 63 74 3b 20  66 6f 72 20 73 6f 6d 65  |ntract; for some|
00000c10  20 72 65 61 64 65 72 73  20 6f 66 0a 74 68 65 73  | readers of.thes|
00000c20  65 20 77 6f 72 64 73 2c  20 49 20 68 61 76 65 6e  |e words, I haven|
00000c30  27 74 20 65 76 65 6e 20  65 76 65 72 20 6d 65 74  |'t even ever met|
00000c40  20 79 6f 75 2e 20 49 27  6d 20 68 61 76 69 6e 67  | you. I'm having|
00000c50  20 74 6f 20 74 72 75 73  74 20 79 6f 75 0a 61 6e  | to trust you.an|
00000c60  79 77 61 79 20 6e 6f 74  20 74 6f 20 74 68 69 65  |yway not to thie|
00000c70  76 65 20 6d 79 20 69 6e  74 65 6c 6c 65 63 74 75  |ve my intellectu|
00000c80  61 6c 20 70 72 6f 70 65  72 74 79 20 66 72 6f 6d  |al property from|
00000c90  20 6d 65 20 62 79 20 70  61 73 73 69 6e 67 20 6f  | me by passing o|
00000ca0  66 66 0a 74 68 65 73 65  20 77 6f 72 64 73 20 6f  |ff.these words o|
00000cb0  72 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61  6d 73 20 61 73 20 79 6f  |r programs as yo|
00000cc0  75 72 20 6f 77 6e 2e 20  49 74 20 77 6f 75 6c 64  |ur own. It would|
00000cd0  20 62 65 20 6c 6f 67 69  73 74 69 63 61 6c 6c 79  | be logistically|
00000ce0  0a 65 78 74 72 65 6d 65  6c 79 20 64 69 66 66 69  |.extremely diffi|
00000cf0  63 75 6c 74 20 74 6f 20  65 6e 73 75 72 65 2c 20  |cult to ensure, |
00000d00  77 68 65 74 68 65 72 20  62 79 20 6c 65 67 61 6c  |whether by legal|
00000d10  20 6f 72 20 74 65 63 68  6e 69 63 61 6c 20 6d 65  | or technical me|
00000d20  61 6e 73 2c 0a 74 68 61  74 20 69 6e 74 65 6c 6c  |ans,.that intell|
00000d30  65 63 74 75 61 6c 20 70  72 6f 70 65 72 74 79 20  |ectual property |
00000d40  72 69 67 68 74 73 20 77  65 72 65 20 6e 6f 74 20  |rights were not |
00000d50  69 6e 66 72 69 6e 67 65  64 2e 0a 20 20 20 20 42  |infringed..    B|
00000d60  75 74 20 6f 6e 20 74 68  65 20 77 68 6f 6c 65 2c  |ut on the whole,|
00000d70  20 49 20 2a 64 6f 2a 20  74 72 75 73 74 20 79 6f  | I *do* trust yo|
00000d80  75 2e 20 59 6f 75 20 6d  69 67 68 74 20 74 75 72  |u. You might tur|
00000d90  6e 20 6f 75 74 20 74 6f  20 62 65 20 61 0a 72 6f  |n out to be a.ro|
00000da0  67 75 65 2c 20 62 75 74  20 61 74 20 6c 65 61 73  |gue, but at leas|
00000db0  74 20 49 27 76 65 20 61  63 71 75 69 74 74 65 64  |t I've acquitted|
00000dc0  20 6d 79 73 65 6c 66 3a  20 62 79 20 74 72 75 73  | myself: by trus|
00000dd0  74 69 6e 67 20 79 6f 75  2c 20 49 27 76 65 20 6e  |ting you, I've n|
00000de0  6f 74 0a 6d 61 64 65 20  6d 79 73 65 6c 66 20 61  |ot.made myself a|
00000df0  20 72 6f 67 75 65 2e 20  54 72 75 73 74 69 6e 67  | rogue. Trusting|
00000e00  20 70 65 6f 70 6c 65 20  69 73 20 6e 6f 74 20 6e  | people is not n|
00000e10  65 63 65 73 73 61 72 69  6c 79 20 74 68 65 20 43  |ecessarily the C|
00000e20  6f 72 72 65 63 74 0a 41  6e 73 77 65 72 20 28 73  |orrect.Answer (s|
00000e30  6f 6d 65 20 70 65 6f 70  6c 65 2c 20 73 75 63 68  |ome people, such|
00000e40  20 61 73 20 4a 6f 68 6e  20 4c 65 6e 6e 6f 6e 2c  | as John Lennon,|
00000e50  20 68 61 76 65 20 68 61  64 20 77 6f 72 73 65 20  | have had worse |
00000e60  63 72 69 6d 65 73 20 74  68 61 6e 0a 74 68 65 66  |crimes than.thef|
00000e70  74 20 63 6f 6d 6d 69 74  74 65 64 20 61 67 61 69  |t committed agai|
00000e80  6e 73 74 20 74 68 65 6d  20 62 65 63 61 75 73 65  |nst them because|
00000e90  20 6f 66 20 69 74 29 20  62 75 74 20 69 74 20 69  | of it) but it i|
00000ea0  73 20 61 74 20 6c 65 61  73 74 20 74 68 65 0a 52  |s at least the.R|
00000eb0  69 67 68 74 20 41 6e 73  77 65 72 2e 0a 0a 20 20  |ight Answer...  |
00000ec0  20 20 48 61 76 69 6e 67  20 72 65 61 64 20 74 68  |  Having read th|
00000ed0  69 73 20 64 6f 63 75 6d  65 6e 74 2c 20 79 6f 75  |is document, you|
00000ee0  20 67 65 74 20 6e 6f 20  70 72 69 7a 65 73 20 66  | get no prizes f|
00000ef0  6f 72 20 77 6f 72 6b 69  6e 67 20 6f 75 74 20 74  |or working out t|
00000f00  68 61 74 0a 49 27 76 65  20 72 65 61 64 20 74 68  |hat.I've read th|
00000f10  65 20 47 4e 55 20 4d 61  6e 69 66 65 73 74 6f 2e  |e GNU Manifesto.|
00000f20  20 42 75 74 20 49 20 62  65 6c 69 65 76 65 20 74  | But I believe t|
00000f30  68 61 74 20 65 78 65 72  63 69 73 69 6e 67 20 63  |hat exercising c|
00000f40  6f 70 79 72 69 67 68 74  0a 6d 65 61 6e 73 20 77  |opyright.means w|
00000f50  61 72 2c 20 61 6e 64 20  69 6e 20 61 6e 79 20 77  |ar, and in any w|
00000f60  61 72 20 28 74 6f 20 22  63 6f 70 79 22 20 73 68  |ar (to "copy" sh|
00000f70  61 6d 65 6c 65 73 73 6c  79 20 74 68 65 20 63 6f  |amelessly the co|
00000f80  6e 63 6c 75 73 69 6f 6e  20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 0a  |nclusion to the.|
00000f90  66 69 6c 6d 20 57 61 72  20 47 61 6d 65 73 29 20  |film War Games) |
00000fa0  74 68 65 20 6f 6e 6c 79  20 77 69 6e 6e 69 6e 67  |the only winning|
00000fb0  20 6d 6f 76 65 20 69 73  20 6e 6f 74 20 74 6f 20  | move is not to |
00000fc0  70 6c 61 79 2e 0a                                 |play..|
00000fc6

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