I realize everything is DRM'd, but I've been an alumnus for over a year and still have access legally. I dislike DRM as much as the next guy, but if i have a source of unlimited, free music, DRM'd or not, I'm going to use it.
What happens to the file-swapper after they graduate? Their identity is compromised, their activities documented, and they would be ripe for a lawsuit after graduation, no?
Why not allow service providers to perform this service and actually grant a license? I have unfettered access to ruckus.com through my university e-mail, and that works just fine more me.
As many others have pointed out: "because they can".
As long as barriers to free trade and exchange of goods and IP exist, these kinds of pricing disparities will continue to exist.
While some people will pay only invoice on a new car (several thousands below sticker), others are willing to pay sticker with a little haggling. Haggling down to invoice takes effort and discipline (I won't buy this car unless I get it down to invoice pricing). Well, similarly, driving down software prices in your local market takes effort and discipline: don't use the software if the value it adds is less than the value consumed by buying the product.
Since programs like photoshop are a tremendous value-add for professionals, the best way to get the price down is to remove barriers between markets and support open software and open software methodologies (portable language packs, for example).
New laws are necessary.
Instead, we should have expiration dates on ALL LAWS - say maybe 10 years. That way, only important, crucial laws get renewed, and it also serves to limit new legislation, otherwise legislators will be so bogged down evaluating old laws that they won't have time to pass new ones.
I think it's great Microsoft wants to tackle the cybersquatter problem. However, I strongly suspect this is more to do with having a bloated legal team than anything else.
What ever happened to innovation? People are doing it, people will continue to do it even if a handful of people get pinched, so create a better technology protocol - don't RIAA it with a fleet of lawyers.
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I realize everything is DRM'd, but I've been an alumnus for over a year and still have access legally. I dislike DRM as much as the next guy, but if i have a source of unlimited, free music, DRM'd or not, I'm going to use it.
What happens to the file-swapper after they graduate? Their identity is compromised, their activities documented, and they would be ripe for a lawsuit after graduation, no?
Why not allow service providers to perform this service and actually grant a license? I have unfettered access to ruckus.com through my university e-mail, and that works just fine more me.
As many others have pointed out: "because they can".
As long as barriers to free trade and exchange of goods and IP exist, these kinds of pricing disparities will continue to exist.
While some people will pay only invoice on a new car (several thousands below sticker), others are willing to pay sticker with a little haggling. Haggling down to invoice takes effort and discipline (I won't buy this car unless I get it down to invoice pricing). Well, similarly, driving down software prices in your local market takes effort and discipline: don't use the software if the value it adds is less than the value consumed by buying the product.
Since programs like photoshop are a tremendous value-add for professionals, the best way to get the price down is to remove barriers between markets and support open software and open software methodologies (portable language packs, for example).
New laws are necessary. Instead, we should have expiration dates on ALL LAWS - say maybe 10 years. That way, only important, crucial laws get renewed, and it also serves to limit new legislation, otherwise legislators will be so bogged down evaluating old laws that they won't have time to pass new ones.
I think it's great Microsoft wants to tackle the cybersquatter problem. However, I strongly suspect this is more to do with having a bloated legal team than anything else.
What ever happened to innovation? People are doing it, people will continue to do it even if a handful of people get pinched, so create a better technology protocol - don't RIAA it with a fleet of lawyers.