[nzlug] 'MS Tax' versus Commerce Commission

[Simon]

On Wed, 2007-07-04 at 08:08 +1200, Matthew Poole wrote:
> On Tue, 3 Jul 2007, Nevyn wrote:

> 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.
> 
It's as if I can buy a house but I must rent the furniture, regardless
of if I use it. Or, I buy a house but the power, water, and phone is
preset - to a set company - and I must pay if I use these services or
not. 

I think, in Auckland, water is the closest. But even then, no general
water charges for Waiheke Island since there is no mains water nor
sewage. But AFAIK, if I isolated by property from the water services,
metro-water still get to charge me. Is this correct? I certainly do not
get a refund on the plumbing.

Even then, though, I can radically reduce the charges with a rainwater
tank (as water is metered).

I think that if I change electricity suppliers, I have to pay a
disconnection fee? If the power is "on" (pre-installed) when I buy...
but I can, in principle, buy a house without power pre-installed.