Finding:
Bill Gates wrote letter
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Open Letter to Hobbyists
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 taking place in the hobbyist community, particularly with regard to his company's software. ... Gates' letter restated what Bunnell wrote in September and Roberts wrote in October.
expand Altair BASIC • "Thieves" and "parasites... • Open letter • Reaction • Magazines that published... • Notes
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Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate, philanthropist, and chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen. ... In February 1976, Gates wrote an Open Letter to Hobbyists in the MITS newsletter saying that MITS could not continue to produce, distribute, and maintain high-quality software without payment.
expand Early life • Microsoft • Post-Microsoft • Personal life • Bibliography • Filmography • Notes • Further reading
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Warez
"Warez" refers primarily to copyrighted works traded in violation of copyright law. ... A famous event in the history of software piracy policy was an open letter written by Bill Gates of Microsoft, dated February 3, 1976, in which he argued that the quality of available software would increase if software piracy was less prevalent.
expand Etymology • Warez distribution • Types of warez • Distribution of warez... • Motivations and arguments... • Legality • Terminology • Notes
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Criticism of Microsoft
Criticism of Microsoft has followed various aspects of its products and business practices. ... When Microsoft discovered that its first product, Altair BASIC, was subject to widespread illegal copying, Microsoft founder Bill Gates wrote an Open Letter to Hobbyists that openly accused many hobbyists of stealing software.
expand Product criticism • Vendor lock-in • Copyright enforcement... • Licensing agreements • Acquisitions • Litigation • Labor practices • Advertising and public... • Blacklisting of journalists... • Censorship in China • Worker productivity... • Gay reference controversy... • Website concerns • Windows tax • Footnotes
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Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (B&MGF or the Gates Foundation) is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. ... Bill Gates
expand History • Activities • Global Health Program... • Global Development... • United States Program... • Lifespan • Criticism • Awards • Notes and references
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Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems
Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) was an American electronics company founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico that began manufacturing electronic calculators in 1971 and personal computers in 1975. ... In February 1976 Bill Gates, "General Partner, Micro-Soft", wrote an "Open Letter to Hobbyists" that was sent to every computer publication inferring that the hobbyists were thieves.
expand Origin • Calculators • Popular Electronics... • Altair computer • Sale to Pertec • Further reading
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William H. Gates, Sr.
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Domestic robot
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Open letter
An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally. ... Bill Gates's Open Letter to Hobbyists attacking copyright infringement in software development, a practice he did not approve of
expand Motivations for writing... • Examples of open letters...