Technology

‘Most of you steal your software’ — Bill Gates complained about software piracy 50 years ago, and was openly irked by community's Altair BASIC ‘theft’

Source

Tom's Hardware

Published

Feb 4, 2026

TL;DR

AI Generated

Bill Gates expressed frustration 50 years ago over software piracy in the hobbyist community, particularly with Altair BASIC being widely copied and redistributed without payment. Despite the success of the Altair 8800 in kickstarting the PC revolution, Gates highlighted the issue of stolen software affecting developers' ability to create quality programs. He criticized hobbyists for not valuing software as much as hardware, emphasizing the need for fair compensation to drive innovation. Gates' open letter urged the community to support developers financially to enable the creation of more sophisticated software for enthusiasts.

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‘Most of you steal your software’ — Bill Gates complained about software piracy 50 years ago, and was openly irked by community's Altair BASIC ‘theft’

TL;DR

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Bill Gates once starred in a bizarre Doom promo to push Windows 95 back in 1993 — tech mogul wore a trench coat, wielded a shotgun, and shot a demon, saying 'Who do you want to execute today?'

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‘Most of you steal your software’ — Bill Gates complained about software piracy 50 years ago, and was openly irked by community's Altair BASIC ‘theft’

TL;DR

Similar Articles

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Github Copilot customers report up to 100-fold price hikes — AI sticker shock bites as Microsoft switches to usage-based pricing

Save 78% on Nord's latest Complete VPN package — 27 months of online protection for $107

Bill Gates once starred in a bizarre Doom promo to push Windows 95 back in 1993 — tech mogul wore a trench coat, wielded a shotgun, and shot a demon, saying 'Who do you want to execute today?'