                        W H A T    I S    S H A R E W A R E ?
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          "Public domain" has a very specific legal meaning.  It means that
          the creator of a work (in this case, software), who had legal
          ownership of that work, has given up ownership and dedicated the
          work "to the public domain".  Once something is in the public
          domain, anyone can use it in any way they choose, and the author
          has no control over the use and cannot demand payment for it.

          If you find a program which the author has explicitly put into
          the public domain, you are free to use it however you see fit
          without paying for the right to use it.  But use care - due to
          the confusion over the meaning of the words, programs are often
          described by authors as being "public domain" when, in fact, they
          are shareware or free, copyrighted software.  To be sure a
          program is public domain, you should look for an explicit
          statement from the author to that effect.

          "Copyrighted" is the opposite of public domain.  A copyrighted
          program is one where the author has asserted his or her legal
          right to control the program's use and distribution by placing
          the legally required copyright notices in the program and
          documentation.  The law gives copyright owners broad rights to
          restrict how their work is distributed, and provides for
          penalties for those who violate these restrictions.  When you
          find a program which is copyrighted, you must use it in
          accordance with the copyright owner's restrictions regarding
          distribution and payment.  Usually, these are clearly stated in
          the program documentation.

          Maintaining a copyright does not necessarily imply charging a
          fee, so it is perfectly possible and legal to have copyrighted
          programs which are distributed free of charge.  The fact that a
          program is free, however, does not mean it is in the public
          domain - though this is a common confusion.

          "Shareware" is copyrighted software which is distributed by
          authors through bulletin boards, on-line services, disk vendors,
          and copies passed among friends.  It is commercial software which
          you are allowed to use and evaluate before paying for it.  This
          makes shareware the ultimate in money back guarantees.

          The Shareware Concept:
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
          Most money back guarantees work like this:  You pay for the
          product and then have some period of time to try it out and see
          whether or not you like it.  If you don't like it or find that it
          doesn't do what you need, you return it (undamaged) and at some
          point - which might take months - you get your money back.  Some
          software companies won't even let you try their product!  In
          order to qualify for a refund, the diskette envelope must have an
          unbroken seal.  With these "licensing" agreements, you only
          qualify for your money back if you haven't tried the product.
          How absurd!

          Shareware is very different.  With shareware you get to use it
          for a limited time, without spending a penny.  You are able to
          use the software on your own system(s), in your own special work
          environment, with no sales people looking over your shoulder.  If
          you decide not to continue using it, you throw it away and forget
          all about it.  No paperwork, phone calls, or correspondence to
          waste your valuable time.  If you do continue using it, then -
          and only then - do you pay for it.

          Shareware is a distribution method, NOT a type of software.
          Shareware is produced by accomplished programmers, just like
          retail software.  There is good and bad shareware, just as there
          is good and bad retail software.  The primary difference between
          shareware and retail software is that with shareware you know if
          it's good or bad BEFORE you pay for it.

          As a software user, you benefit because you get to use the
          software to determine whether it meets your needs before you pay
          for it, and authors benefit because they are able to get their
          products into your hands without the hundreds of thousands of
          dollars in expenses it takes to launch a traditional retail
          software product.  There are many programs on the market today
          which would never have become available without the shareware
          marketing method.

          The shareware system and the continued availability of quality
          shareware products depend on your willingness to register and pay
          for the shareware you use.  It's the registration fees you pay
          which allow us to support and continue to develop our products.

          Please show your support for shareware by registering those
          programs you actually use and by passing them on to others.
          Shareware is kept alive by YOUR support!

