Amiga.org
The "Not Quite Amiga but still computer related category" => Alternative Operating Systems => Topic started by: Vincent on April 03, 2005, 09:49:19 PM
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Have a good chuckle at this:
Microsoft's army of lawyers was no match for a kid from Kent State. (http://clevescene.com/issues/2005-03-30/news/feature_print.html).
I know I did :lol:
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i love that "F U"!
:smack:
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man that is a great story! microsoft are f-ing bleepers!
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:roflmao:
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I'm fairly certain the doctrine of first sale applies here, click-wrapped license agreement or no, but I could be wrong. Besides, Microsoft's educational resale agreement is between Microsoft and the retailer and really doesn't have anything to do with the consumer.
You know why I don't see this case as funny? The kid did exactly what you someone is his position should do, but people in this country (the United States) are so dead set against law suits and attorneys, that they're blind to violations of their rights and privileges as consumers.
Lawsuits are a Good Thing. How else can we as individuals keep corporations in check? The last time I looked, our system of government is about the freedoms and liberties of individuals and not those of corporations.
Trev
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So, what he did was to buy a piece of software on a student discount and resell it for a profit? Try doing that. I guess now it's legal.
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It was never "illegal." If a retailer violates their resale agreement by selling educational software to someone who isn't a student, then that retailer is in violation of their resale agreement. (Previous statement provided courtesy of the Department of Redundancy Department.) But the student who purchases the software is free to sell the software to anyone allowed to buy it (e.g. not someone in Cuba) at any time.
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Did you read the entire article? He had made attempts to
return the software to his university store and directly
to microsoft as per their 30day policy. Granted, ebay is not
the best place, but I can see his point. For the prices he
sold the software, it sold at about the same prices an
academic version would cost anyway.
C Snyder
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I'm probably alone in this, but reading the article made me feel ashamed to have Windows occupying space on my desktop.
His closing statement struck a nerve. My business depends on a single piece of software that is only available for Windows. I really have to run Windows whether I want to or not. Microsoft owns the universe.
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Roj wrote:
His closing statement struck a nerve. My business depends on a single piece of software that is only available for Windows. I really have to run Windows whether I want to or not. Microsoft owns the universe.
Out of interest, what is that particular software you are running then?
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I'm tied to a piece of software called WorldGroup, which is a stupidly expensive hosting environment for several types of online systems, but the one in particular that I'm involved in is an older gaming environment which I've been running for several years that still has a notable following called MajorMud. I've also written a few support modules for it that I sell on the side.
There's always been talk of porting it, but it just never happens. If it ever does happen, I'll most likely dump Windows in favor of just about anything else that supports WorldGroup. I'm not holding my breath though, fortunately. :-)
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Roj wrote:
I'm tied to a piece of software called WorldGroup, which is a stupidly expensive hosting environment for several types of online systems, but the one in particular that I'm involved in is an older gaming environment which I've been running for several years that still has a notable following called MajorMud. I've also written a few support modules for it that I sell on the side.
There's always been talk of porting it, but it just never happens. If it ever does happen, I'll most likely dump Windows in favor of just about anything else that supports WorldGroup. I'm not holding my breath though, fortunately. :-)
Have you tried running it with Crossover Office on Linux, or Win4Lin even?
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but people in this country (the United States) are so dead set against law suits and attorneys
You are kidding right?
The rest of the world sees the USA as the land of the law suit.
"Ooops, I spilt coffee on my lap, quick call a lawyer!"
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I loved the article, but i think the kid is lame for ending it like
that. He should have kept it going, he should have went on the talk
shows and let people see Microsoft for what they are, monsters. I mean
they spend so much on a kid that just wanted his $60 back for software
he never used or even opened! FU Microsoft, thats why I use Macs and
the Pegasos!
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mdma wrote:
The rest of the world sees the USA as the land of the law suit.
"Ooops, I spilt coffee on my lap, quick call a lawyer!"
Yup, without the law suits 90% of Americans would be out of jobs :-P
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Lawsuits are a Good Thing
just to clarify: in cases like this, yes, Lawsuits are a Good Thing!
frivolous lawsuits, on the other hand, are a Bad Thing! and there's WAY too many of those!
I say, good for this kid! more power to him. he did the right thing!
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[rant]That's just it. The definition of a "frivolous lawsuit," is rapidly changing. Back in the day, one would call suing your neighbor because his dog ate your roses frivolous, and I agree. Today, however, any lawsuit involving an individual suing a business or a doctor is considered frivolous. What's up with that? The bottom line is the executive and legislative branches aren't doing anything to force corporations, doctors, etc. to work within the law. In fact, they're doing just the opposite. Limiting damages? The only thing that keeps companies like Ford from producing cars that blow up and hack doctors from killing their patients is the financial impact of a possible lawsuit. Without that possibility, it's more profitable for Ford to make s--t cars and set aside the funds for the lawsuits. I'd like to see that change, I really would. But Ford only cares about their bottom line, and state medical boards won't take liceneses away from doctors found guilty of malpractice. (Personally, I don't think it should be up to a medical board. Found guilty of malpractice? Go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.00. Do not practice medicine. FYI, it's like that for attorneys. Attorneys found guilty of gross malpractice are disbarred. The end.) The judiciary is the only branch of our government fighting to protect the rights of the individual and the minority, and I hope that doesn't change.[/rant]
OK. Rant over. :-) And I like Windows. Go figure.
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The only thing that keeps companies like Ford from producing cars that blow up and hack doctors from killing their patients is the financial impact of a possible lawsuit.
In civilised nations we have something called regulation. Works for us. :-P
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We're all Deregulation Nation on this side of the pond. Works well when you're rich and powerful, not so well when your kids are decapitated by cheap, removable minivan seats or a loved one is allowed to die by a doctor who was too busy f--king his girlfriend to respond to an emergency page. Both of those examples are true, and one of them relates to my family. You bet your ass we sued. Unfortunately, the minivans haven't changed, and the doctor is still practicing medicine.
Trev
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Trev wrote:
We're all Deregulation Nation on this side of the pond. Works well when you're rich and powerful, not so well when your kids are decapitated by cheap, removable minivan seats or a loved one is allowed to die by a doctor who was too busy f--king his girlfriend to respond to an emergency page. Both of those examples are true, and one of them relates to my family. You bet your ass we sued. Unfortunately, the minivans haven't changed, and the doctor is still practicing medicine.
Trev
Now over here, the company would be fined massively by the government, and sued the hell out of by your family. The doctor would be struck off the practitioneers list, AND your family would sue the hell out of the NHS.
Best and worst of both worlds I guess.
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And wouldn't it be nice if that's how things worked over here? But no. Here, they just raise insurance premiums and blame it on the lawsuits. It's not the manufacturer's fault. It's not the doctor's fault. It's the victim's fault. What a country, eh?
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Trev wrote:
And wouldn't it be nice if that's how things worked over here? But no. Here, they just raise insurance premiums and blame it on the lawsuits. It's not the manufacturer's fault. It's not the doctor's fault. It's the victim's fault. What a country, eh?
If the USA was any different though, you'd move! :-D