"I would like to challenge any software developer to release two versions of their software: one with and one without a protection scheme, and see what the purchasing public's "voting dollars" have to say about it. When you only have one option, it is hard to qualitfy and/or quantify what could/should/would have transpired if both options were available." I wish that such a test could be done - but think it through more carefully. It is pointless to sell both protected and unprotected versions - do you see why? CyberStretch - I pondered whether to respond point-by-point to the rest of your post, but I've decided that is fruitless. I have already tried that on each previous post. Whether you realize it or not, you attempt to manipulate anyone else reading this thread, by continuing to rage against points that I am not making, that OF COURSE most people would find wrong, in hopes that this will make your viewpoint look more rational than it is. I respect rants. Rants are important, and often contain emotional truth that we are not yet articulate enough to argue rationally. I respect you. You are upset about software protection. I trust that emotional instinct: if it bothers you, then there is a harm being done to you, that hasn't been sufficiently eliminated. I want to help clarify the costs and benefits of different courses of action, to the different parties involved. If I were to merely "out-debate you" - I might end up convincing others that you were being unproductive and irrelevant - but you would be left with a feeling inside that you had been had. You would be right, because I would have failed to help eliminate whatever the harm was. First, I will say the obvious, so that we keep it in mind: No matter what you and I say, you will leave this discussion partly unsatisfied, since it is a conversation you would really need to have with Larry Weinberg and Steve Cooper, of Curious Labs. Hopefully, by you and I airing it here, we can clarify the points at stake. Hopefully, we can arrive somewhere that would be worth bringing to the attention of Curious Labs' executives. I have invested enough time into this discussion. I judge it not worth my time to continue, given your repeated failure to hear what I have said. For this discussion to be of benefit to you and other customers, I need you to work harder. I need you to look more closely at what I am saying, at what YOU are saying; to look inside yourself to see what you hope to acheive. And to look at reality: what is realistic to acheive. Maybe we need to drop it for awhile.