|
The Open Letter to Hobbyists was an open letter written on February 3, 1976 by Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft.
In the letter, Gates expresses frustration over the fact that most computer hobbyists who were currently using his company's Altair BASIC software had not paid for it. Gates asserts that such behavior is tantamount to theft, and in effect discourages the incentive for developers to continue creating quality software. The core of Gates' argument hinges on the lack of fairness involved in gaining the benefits of software authors' time, effort, and capital, but then depriving them of the royalties that they are legally enititled to receive. "Who can afford to do professional work for nothing?", he asks.
This letter has become an important milestone for the development and expansion of the retail software market.
External links
|
