[nzlug] 'MS Tax' versus Commerce Commission

[Craig Box]

> 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.

And even then, the argument could be made that "Windows costs $1000, but
we're prepared to sell it to you for $200 *iff* you buy it with a new PC for
$1" applies, regardless of the licensing-vs.-selling model.