[nzlug] 'MS Tax' versus Commerce Commission

[Matthew Poole]

On Tue, 3 Jul 2007, Nevyn wrote:

> Back on topic. I can use a power lead for my kettle. I can sell the
> handlebars or wheels. Earphones are so low price as to not bear worrying
> about. I can't sell an OEM version of Windows. So as a Linux user, I've just
> paid a hundred dollars or so on a piece of software which I can't transfer
> to another computer. Hell, the only thing I've got for the hundred or so
> dollars is maybe a cd (if I'm lucky). I can pick one of those up for $0.50.

To take the direction of these latest posts to their obvious conclusion, 
there is no common retail item that can be used for a good analogy with 
what's done vis software. That is, you do not own the item you have 
purchased you merely lease its use. The music industry are arguing that 
their product is in the same category, but there is nothing else that one 
buys and uses day-to-day (I'm aware that some commercial/industrial 
equipment is "purchased" strictly on a licence-to-use basis) that comes 
with the same restrictions on transfer as we see with OEM software.

-- 
Matthew Poole
"Don't use force.  Get a bigger hammer."