>>Technically and legally speaking, registration is designed to marry the >>single copy of the product to a single user. Anybody who legally >>purchased and registered the product has a right to sell the product and >>all rights to use it, SO LONG AS the seller does not continue to use it. > >"...does not continue to use it." includes upgrades of the same product >purchases at a reduced price based on ownership of older version. > >Exampel: It is illegal to sell ProgramA version 2 if you continue to use >ProgramA version 3 AND purchased ProgramA version 3 as an upgrade of >version 2 (usually at a much lower price).
Neither point is ALWAYS true. The best bet, read the license agreement that came with the software. 99% of the software out there will allow you to make a one time complete transfer of the software to a new owner. Most of it does NOT specify if this includes upgrades or not. I suspect many companies, if asked, will tell you that you CAN transfer older versions once you buy a newer version, even when bought as an upgrade and at upgrade pricing. Upgrade prices aren't done that way because you will keep the old copy forever, they are done that way to suck more money out of you. The vendors don't usually care what happens to the older version after you upgrade (some do however, so read the agreement). Case Law says it is legal to transfer ownership of unused software. This was tested against Adobe a few years back. They said you can't transfer copies of their software, they sued someone who was doing it, and they LOST. The courts said that despite the license agreement saying you can't transfer the software, you CAN do so. I don't know how that impacts transfers of older versions of upgraded software. But like I said above, many companies won't care... and if is doesn't say you CAN'T do it in the license agreement, then you CAN do it. -chris <http://www.mythtech.net> ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe send a mail message with a SUBJECT line of "unsubscribe" to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> or <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
