The Open Letter to Hobbyists was an open letter written by Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, to early personal computer hobbyists, in which Gates expresses dismay at the rampant copyright infringement of software taking place in the hobbyist community, particularly with regard to his company's software.
In the letter, Gates expressed frustration with most computer hobbyists who were using his company's Altair BASIC software without having paid for it. He asserted that such widespread unauthorized copying in effect discourages developers from investing time and money in creating high-quality software. He cited the unfairness of gaining the benefits of software authors' time, effort, and capital without paying them.
Read more about Open Letter To Hobbyists: Altair BASIC, "Thieves" and "parasites", Open Letter, Reaction, Magazines That Published The Letter
Famous quotes containing the words open and/or letter:
“It doesn’t do good to open doors for someone who doesn’t have the price to get in. If he has the price, he may not need the laws. There is no law saying the Negro has to live in Harlem or Watts.”
—Ronald Reagan (b. 1911)
“When you travel to the Celestial City, carry no letter of introduction. When you knock, ask to see God,—none of the servants.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)