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Product Activation and Fair Use | 59 comments (59 topical) | Post A Comment
What's fair[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#9)
by tscoff on Wed Aug 11, 2004 at 01:59:48 AM PDT

What's fair in my opinion is what's fair with a book.  When I buy a new book I read it, then my friends all borrow it and read it also.  We have that one copy and we share it.

In my opinion software falls in the same category.  It's fair use for me to buy a software package and share it with my friends the same way that we share books.  It's not fair to the company for me to install it on my computer and on my friend's computer at the same time, but it is fair for me to install it on my computer, uninstall it and then install it on my friend's computer.

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What is Fair[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#14)
by Anonymous User on Wed Aug 11, 2004 at 01:03:01 PM PDT

In your case you are correct however a re-registration process is required to make the transfer of the software legal. You have the right idea but people do not take that second step to register the prodcut when the transfer takes place. It is just too much of a bother and that is what causes the use of software outside the legal guidelines and in response causes developers to tighten up on the registration and activation process.

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re: What is Fair[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#15)
by Bryan Bytehead on Thu Aug 12, 2004 at 12:31:52 PM PDT

Uh, whis is re-registration required? Maybe if the license agreement requires it, but then, if there's a license agreement attached, it's not working like a book.

Although I remember reading about somebody receiving a book that they didn't ask for that had it's own shrinkwrap license. It wasn't for him, so he couldn't use it according to their terms, the shrinkwrap prevented him from destroying it, or giving it away to anybody else. Oh course, since the USPS says that something shipped to you that you didn't order or request, it's yours, so I guess in that case, the guy actually owned the real book, and not a license, as the shrinkwrap tried to push.

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Product Activation and Fair Use | 59 comments (59 topical) | Post A Comment
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