Hi there .... I've been thinking a lot about the big copyrights issue. The Sword Project has some exceptional software to offer now. The performance outshines any of the commercial programs and the potential is growing rapidly. The Sword library itself is awesome and completely platform independent. But at the end of the day, it is only as useful as the modules that we are able to offer. In English speaking countries, the majority of Christians seem to want the NIV. Second to that is possibly the NRSV maybe followed by the NJB. I could be wrong, but I guess there will be few other real contenders.
We may eventually get some success with the copright holder of the NRSV - but Zondervan will never, I'm sure allow free issue of the NIV. Is it totally against the policy of the Sword Project (that's us, I think) to refuse to allow anyone to charge a copyright fee for a locked module which we would provide? I know we have no mechanism or desire to handle copyright funds. Could we not consider arranging with a copyright holder together with a commercial retail organisation such as Amazon to handle the commercial side of transactions involving downloadable modules only? Or maybe Zondervan themselves could set up a mechanism to arrange the supply of the Sword module? This would not mean that we would (ever) charge for the software. Simply make it available as we do now, but with a method of buying copyrighted modules. I seriously believe we ought to do something in that direction and would like to propose that listmembers offer their thoughts. God bless, Barry >From Barry Drake (The Revd - minister of the Arnold and the Netherfield United Reformed Churches, Nottingham - see http://www.arnold-urc.supanet.com for our church homepages). Replies - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fax: 0705 069 8746
