This is an Off Topic subject for the majority of News Groups posted to.

In reply however....

And police don't earn a salary ?
Do we not pay the FBI and CIA employees ?
Does not a lawyer charge for services ?
Does not a locksmith get paid for their services ?

So AV companies have a *RIGHT* to charge for their services as well. Most are nominal fees.

In actuality, this kind of bullsh!t argument has no relevance in *any* of the posted News
Groups.
Take this argument to; alt.comp.virus and/or alt.comp.anti-virus
Those locations are more apropos for this kind of broad discussion as it does not really
have a Microsoft basis since the argument would be the same for *any* OS including
Microsoft.

Dave





"The Magnificent *******" wrote in message
...
| Antivirus software companies charge you money to "protect" your computer
| from viruses and other bad things that could happen to it (trojan horse,
| worm, etc.). If you don't pay for protection, there is a very good
| chance that something bad will happen to your computer. Some people say
| that some antivirus software companies are even responsible for some (or
| most) of the new viruses that come out.........that way there is always
| a need for their products.
|
| Sounds kind of like the mafia. Either you pay them for protection or
| you'll get hurt or something like that.
|
| Is this just a coincidence?
|
| --
| Magnificent ******* Productions 2004 ©
|
| http://www.magnificent*******productions.com