Z:gnu-www-ja-shouldbefree--37c8ed-This answer cannot be decided/en

This answer cannot be decided by current law&mdash;the law should conform to ethics, not the other way around. Nor does current practice decide this question, although it may suggest possible answers. The only way to judge is to see who is helped and who is hurt by recognizing owners of software, why, and how much. In other words, we should perform a cost-benefit analysis on behalf of society as a whole, taking account of individual freedom as well as production of material goods.