Quote:
Originally Posted by Nathanael
Software is licensed, not sold -- a highly important legal distinction that nobody except lawyers cares about.
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No, wait ! I care about it too. Assume software is licensed. Where's my free replacement copy when I lose my CD or my computer explodes ?
"License" is mostly an excuse to rip you off. Publishers prefer to give as little as possible. The flaws of physical goods combined with the flaws of licensed works. But none of the benefits of either. For example they try very hard to eliminate reselling - in games it's by unlock codes etc which work only on the initial install. Or you get DMCA requests if you try to sell on eBay. If I want my money back, why do I have to return all the media, the manual etc ? By the way, why is the license
inside the box ?
And if we assume software is like physical property*, I should be able to do everything I fancy with my copy.
* not that I agree with this