[thelist] Org Chart?

[Andrew Forsberg]

Aardvark said (regarding using BBEdit Lite):
>still pilfering it up to that point...  sure, you can justify it by saying
>it made you buy it, but you stole it to begin with (i guess it's your
>own fault)...

Deke said (regarding using shareware in general):
>Donating your *own* services to a non-profit organizations is admirable.
>Stealing shareware on their behalf is not.

Perhaps someone could clarify some US law for me.

Where I come from (sure, New Zealand is way out in the sticks, and we 
sleep with sheep to keep warm, but still) theft is unlawfully taking 
something that belongs to someone else (an individual or 
organization). I know the United States is a weird and wonderful 
place (well <cough/>), but since when did abiding by the shareware / 
trial license for a software package constitute theft?

When I was a grad student BBEdit Lite was a life saver -- it sure bet 
the hell out of simpletext -- nowadays the full version of BBEdit is 
a steal (sorry) at the price. But, then, I'm nothing like a student 
anymore and I earn ten times the amount I used to. Does this make 
sense? or am I a thief too?
-- 
Andrew Forsberg
http://www.thepander.co.nz/