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This is a bug with the copyright system. The software is copyrighted and only Adobe can sell it. So they can sell what they want. One copyright reform I'd make
by rmc 14y ago
This is a bug with the copyright system. The software is copyrighted and only Adobe can sell it. So they can sell what they want.
One copyright reform I'd make, would be removing copyright protection from works like this where are sold as massively different rates between markets. You'd need to look at average wage in the country and compare (rather than a simple metric of 'can you fly to $OTHERCOUNTRY and buy it for less overall?'). If this was the law, then in this case, the software would not be copyrighted in Australia and people could bootleg it legally. Adobe would only get copyright protection if they offered it for sale at a fair price.
Another advantage of this approach is that TVs/Films/out of print books are only copyrighted and 'locked up', when they are actually for sale. A film hasn't been released in UK but is in USA? No copyright protected in UK! Force them to release at same time. (NB: an online shop that ships anywhere counts as "for sale in that country")
But instead, there is global copyright without any restrictions.
- EvilLook 14y ago>One copyright reform I'd make, would be removing copyright >protection from works like this where are sold as >massively different rates between markets. Great. When you're done there, can you tell others what to do with the things they've created? Because surely you know better than they do. How about you tell startups what price to offer their software at and how they must license any patents they create?
- rmc 14y agoYou act as if copyright is like property rights. Copyright only lasts a certain amount of time, is that "telling others what to do with the things they have created"? There is no end of law about how companies can sell things, what they can/can't charge for (e.g. minimum warranties). Are you as outraged over that?
- joelthelion 14y agoHow about allowing other distributors to buy a license anywhere in the world and resell it, just as if it were a physical good?
- petercooper 14y agoOne copyright reform I'd make, would be removing copyright protection from works like this where are sold as massively different rates between markets. You'd need to look at average wage in the country and compare Just thought I'd try and run such numbers. The median Australian household income in 2007-2008 was US $69,085. [1] The median US household income in the Northeast in 2010 was $53,283. [2] So a 31% difference versus the 66% difference in the software's price. However, the Australian price probably includes GST of 10% which when deducted brings the difference to 51% vs 31%. So yeah, there's a correction waiting to happen there unless other duties or taxes are causing the problem. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median_household_income_in_Australia_and_New_Zealand http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median_household_income_in_Aust... [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States#Median_income http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_...
- Tsagadai 14y agoGST is not relevant. The UK has a 20% VAT tax[1] on many things that are substantially cheaper in the UK than in Australia. Legal software is cheaper in Thailand than Australia (where the market for legal software is smaller). The only reason this is happening is because the companies can, and will. Making a profit is why they exist. [1] https://www.gov.uk/vat-rates https://www.gov.uk/vat-rates
- kabdib 14y agoWhy not get it over with and just nationalize Adobe's products? Make them free for everyone? After all, Adobe takes advantage of the benefits of our free society, and they should give something back for that. Oh, wait . . . (/sarcasm, if it wasn't clear)
- antiterra 14y agoI do seem to recall something Thomas Paine wrote about the inalienable natural right to the latest version of commercial creative software.