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Re: OpenSourceSchools Journal Online
> > Anyway, one education official was interviewed for the paper, and what suprised
> > me the most was that he said that one of the worst things about your school's
> > computers being stolen is that the insurance only covers hardware, not
> > software, and they end up needing to get money to buy all the software again!
> > One would assume that software companies would simply allow you to reinstall
> > the same software on replacement computers (the installation CDs can be kept
> > in a seperate safe place), without paying again - but apparently they refuse
> > to allow that!
>
> This has nothing to do with the software companies. A software company has
> no problem witha register user reinstalling without paying for another
> license.
> It's the "technicians" installing it who provide the mis-information, and
> the customer not understanding that they are paying for a license to use
> the software rather than for transfer of ownership of anything.
I don't think you are correct. Remember, the school system is a big system,
with a lot of money, lawyers, and so on. If "reinstalling" was legal they
would have already figured it out, and refuse to pay the large sums of wasted
money (which they cry about in the paper) to the "technicians".
IANAL, but I think that legally, when you buy some software (e.g., Microsoft
Bob) you buy the privilige of installing it on one computer. As long as that
computer is still running the software somewhere - regardless if it was given
away, stolen, or whatever - you cannot legally install the software again on
another computer. I assume the education ministry's lawyers already tried
to find a loophole which will allow them to install software on replacement
computers, but couldn't find one. If it was up to me (again, not a lawyer),
I'd say that the thief is now running a pirated copy and I'm running the
legal copy - but I guess the BSA goons probably don't agree.
BTW, the situation is even more complicated by Microsoft monopolistic sales
methods. Microsoft knows that (in Israel, but to a lesser degree also in the
U.S) if people were given the choice they'd buy a computer without an O/S,
copying Microsoft Windows from a friend (and saving a few hundred dollars).
This is why they have the following deal (scam?) with computer sellers: they
give the sellers MS-Windows for half (or whatever) price, if they sign a
contract that more than 95% of the new computers they sell will have MS-Windows
pre-installed on them. These sellers will then flat-out refuse any buyer's
request to buy a computer without Windows on it, so if you buy a new computer
from them you're stuck with having to buy Windows again.
--
Nadav Har'El | Monday, Oct 8 2001, 21 Tishri 5762
nyh@math.technion.ac.il |-----------------------------------------
Phone: +972-53-245868, ICQ 13349191 |If you lost your left arm, your right arm
http://nadav.harel.org.il |would be left.
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