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Nvidia Wants To Prohibit Consumer GPU Use In Datacenters (theregister.co.uk)

The Register reports: Nvidia has banned the use of its GeForce and Titan gaming graphics cards in data centers -- forcing organizations to fork out for more expensive gear, like its latest Tesla V100 chips. The chip-design giant updated its GeForce and Titan software licensing in the past few days, adding a new clause that reads: "No Datacenter Deployment. The SOFTWARE is not licensed for datacenter deployment, except that blockchain processing in a datacenter is permitted."
Long-time Slashdot reader Xesdeeni has a few questions: Is this really even legal? First, because it changes use of existing hardware, already purchased, by changing software (with potentially required bug fixes) agreements retroactively. Second, because how can a customer (at least in the U.S.) be told they can't use a product in a particular place, unless it's a genuine safety or security concern (i.e. government regulation)!?
Nvidia expects that "working together with our user base on a case-by-case basis, we will be able to resolve any customer concerns," they told CNBC, adding that "those who don't download new drivers won't be held to the new terms."

5 of 312 comments (clear)

  1. Obstacle! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    With policies like that, Oracle will be proud to buy them!

  2. Re: Seems pretty simple to me by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 4, Funny
    if you ask the janitor or your kid to click the install button, you're technically in the clear.

    However, in order not to infringe the janitor's human rights, you might wish to employ a team of cats trained in keyboard skills. (check Youtube for details).

    In a cat vs Nvidia lawsuit, I would expect that cat to land on its feet.

    --
    Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
  3. Competition? by Futurepower(R) · · Score: 4, Funny

    Microsoft, Oracle, Adobe Systems, and Nvidia executives are trying to see who can be most abusive?

    Just two laws are needed:

    1) Everything bad is forbidden.

    2) Everything good is mandatory.

    Prediction: Microsoft, Oracle, Adobe Systems, and Nvidia will combine and become one company, known as MOAN.

    We'll all be moaning about MOAN.

  4. Re: You know.... by Alumoi · · Score: 4, Funny

    We know this but, as an Apple user, he doesn't.

  5. Re: You know.... by Hal_Porter · · Score: 3, Funny

    http://bash.org/?14207

    Kind of amusing that iOS users have become the equivalent of AOLers given how snooty Apple users tend to be.

    --
    echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;