Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Watchdog To Represent eBay Seller In Autodesk Suit

Posted by kdawson on from the lawyers-guns-and-software dept.

New10k writes "Following up on a recent Slashdot discussion, nonprofit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen has agreed to provide an attorney to eBay seller Timothy S. Vernor, who is suing Autodesk in federal court over misuse of the DMCA to stifle competition. The advocacy group has identified elements of the Vernor case as some of its key litigation priorities for 2007. The article includes an interview with Vernor's new lawyer, Greg Beck, who was a software engineer for Microsoft before going to law school."

5 of 80 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Autodesk? Suit? by speaker+of+the+truth · · Score: 3, Informative

    Not just once, you could start your own CD printing factory and sell million of copies. This isn't how copyright law works. You can sell a copyrighted piece of work that you bought (such as a book) but only the original copy you originally bought (i.e. You can't start your own printing press and sell the book).
    --
    Using openSUSE instead of Windows since 9th of October, 2007 and liking it.
  2. Re:Autodesk? Suit? by pimpimpim · · Score: 5, Informative
    Yes, I just checked the autocad shop and nowhere it mentions that you will buy a license. Instead you spend about 4000 dollars on something for which it mentions "Reasons to Buy" (so not Reasons to license). Nowhere on the page it gives us any buying conditions. (or did I miss them?)

    Additionally they have a subscription service with a different pricing scheme. Autocad there is about 400 dollar I guess, it doesn't mention on what timespan, a year probably.

    All this data on their own website points in one direction: for 4000 dollars you buy the software package after which you own that copy of the software package, to do what you want with it. For a subscription price you can buy a subscription where you don't own the software but it makes sure that during your subscription they 'lend' you the most recent software.

    --
    molmod.com - computing tips from a molecular modeling
  3. The precious anti-VERO fight by freepath · · Score: 5, Informative

    Anyone seriously interested in this issue should read about the crusades of Ebay seller Tabberone, who singlehandedly defeated many corporate DMCA abusers trying to maliciously end their auctions:

    http://www.tabberone.com/Trademarks/OurFight.shtml

    It's a wealth of information for the self litigator. ...

    ~ f

  4. Re:Autodesk? Suit? by joeyblades · · Score: 3, Informative

    Actually, under "Licensing, Registration, and Activation", Autodesk makes it very clear that you are not purchasing software, you are purchasing a license to use software. They also make it clear that this license is not universally transferable.

    The licensing of software is not unusual for very expensive software, especially when external IP is involved. If Autodesk licenses certain IP from external sources, they are obligated to track it's use explicitly through their own licensing policies.

    One might make the argument that Autodesk does not go out of it's way to make it clear to the casual shopper that they are not selling software, merely licensing software. However, if Autodesk is guilty of this, so is every other developer of licensed software. Also, AutoCAD isn't exactly an impulse item you pick up in the checkout line at Frys, next to the peanuts and the $4 laser pointers. If you're planning on plopping down $4000 on a software product, you'd better do a little research. And if you find that same product on eBay for $40, you should be very, very suspicious that something is not on the up-and-up.

  5. Re:Autodesk? Suit? by CCTalbert · · Score: 2, Informative

    Actually, the pricing scheme is a bit more evil than what you just described....

    In "the good old days" (I've worked with AutoCAD since about '86) you bought the product, and had support for it; when a new release came out you could upgrade for the difference in price- for example if Rel.9 was $1400, and Rel.10 was $1550, your upgrade cost was $150. If you skipped a couple releases no problem, you paid the total difference. If you wanted to transfer your license to someone else, you'd inform AutoDesk and it didn't seem to be a problem.

    Now, though, things are a bit different. (Personally I think Autodesk has become evil than Microsoft.) You have to both "buy" and "subscribe". You buy (around $4000 depending on the product), then you either subscribe for around $400/yr (and get support and all upgrades) or you don't (sorry Bud, you're on your own!). If you choose not to subscribe, can still upgrade of course, but if you happen to wait a few releases, you become "Legacy", which means your already owning the software only gets you a 50% discount; if you go a little farther then you're dropped entirely and you have to pay full price to get back in the game. And now you can't sell (or even give away) your software to someone else- say you're a small owner and decide to get out of the game- you can't sell your $4000 investment to anyone. IF someone buys your entire company they'll transfer, but they won't accommodate much less than that.

    IF it was subscription, and you paid a monthly/annual fee for support, upgrades, etc., that would seem fair enough to me. I like that model, actually. OR if you really bought it, that would be fine too. To have to both buy and then tithe seems a bit excessive. It's no wonder Autodesk products are pirated so much!

    We won't even talk about what an enema Rel.13 was :)