[tdf-discuss] Re: Mac App Store - or else ?

On 2011/01/13 3:53 PM  Fabián Rodríguez wrote:
> > There is no DRM used on the Mac OS X App Store. There is DRM on the
> > Apple iOS AppStore. They are two separate entities. The FSF objections
> > are to the DRM on the iOS AppStore and do not apply to the OS X App
> > Store. Of course, the FSF objects to Apple and any other company that
> > does not give away their software for free.
> >
> > Larry
> Hi Larry,
>
> DRM means "Digital Rights Management" and although it (apparently) has
> been easily circumvented in the App store, there are indeed such control
> mechanisms implemented:
> http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1075297
The second last post at that site links to:
http://www.macworld.com/article/157018/2011/01/appstore_licensing.html
Here are some excerpts:

   When you buy an app on the Mac App Store, you’re getting the rights to run that program on
   any Macs you own and operate, for your personal use ...

   Mac App Store apps aren’t wrapped in digital-rights management software, really. In fact,
   copy protection is not mandatory on Mac App Store apps. ...
   That’s it. There’s no authorizing or deauthorizing of Macs, like you do with iTunes media.
   There’s no five-Mac limit, or device limit of any kind. ...


> A quick search shows confusing information about this (again):
> http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/02/poetic-justice-watch-crackulous-released-pirated-re-sold.ars
That is an article from 2009/02/02 and refers to the AppStore on iTunes for iOS devices. It is 
irrelevant to the discussion of the Mac App Store.

> http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20027731-264.html
That article is about product registration and authorization of the application by the 
developer. That is different from DRM for the whole store.

Any application I buy has to be registered and authorized before I can use it. Free 
applications don't have to be authorized. It is the same on the Mac App Store.

> "Free" in "Free software" refers to Freedom, not free as in $0 cost.
> It's a common mistake, but the Free Software Foundation is not objecting
> to anyone selling Free software. Quite the opposite, in fact, except the
> software itself is not considering the only goods you would be
> monetizing. This article should help understanding such model:
> http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/selling.html
I know the difference. The FSF makes dislikes anything that isn't and makes inaccurate 
statements about Apple and Mac software. I use the software that best suits my purpose. As a 
artist I cannot support the premise that all software should free/libre. Creators of software 
have rights and should be able to license their creation under any license they see fit, free 
or propriety.

I do support the use of open file formats for documents created, such as ODF. When I need to 
send a document to someone send it as a PDF. Macs make it easy to do so since all I have to do 
is print the document and then instead of actually printing it, I can save it as a PDF. Thus I 
can send most documents that are orifinaly in various proprietary formats  to people who do not 
have the program that can read the original.

> Larry, knowing that you are the audience we seek, I'd like to know how
> you found out about OOo (or Libreoffice, if you didn't know OOo before).
How? Good question. Probably some article I read. I have been using OOo, mainly Writer, for 
about seven years. I've never used MS Office except briefly on friends computers. I previously 
used WordPerfect.

I switched to a Mac four years ago.

> Perhaps that can provide other ways to better reach Mac audiences ?
Make it available in the App Store. OOo was always listed in the Open Source software download 
page at Apple support. That service has now been replaced by the App Store.

> Cheers,
>
> Fabian
Larry
--
_________________________________
Larry I. Gusaas
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Canada
Website: http://larry-gusaas.com
"An artist is never ahead of his time but most people are far behind theirs." - Edgard Varese




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