3 ms·

I really wish that the word "buy" (and "sell") were illegal to use for DRM or otherwise encumbered digital goods. If a company wants to license something to you

by rlpb 14y ago

I really wish that the word "buy" (and "sell") were illegal to use for DRM or otherwise encumbered digital goods. If a company wants to license something to you under DRM, then it should either explicitly use the words "buy a license" or not use the word "buy" at all. And conversely, if a supplier uses the words "buy" or "sell" implying that you're acquiring digital goods (rather than licensing it), then that should be sufficient to nullify any license and make it a straightforward sale in the eyes of the law, and laws regarding "circumvention" should no longer apply.

dkuntz2 14y ago
Do you not still buy and sell licenses? Sure, it's not the product itself, but a license to use the product, but you're still buying it (it in this case is the license). Sure, maybe using "license this product" instead of "buy this product" is technically more accurate, but at least 90% of customers don't really care. And seeing license is just going to confuse them.
- AnthonyMouse 14y ago
  >Do you not still buy and sell licenses? You do not buy and sell licenses. License is the verb. You license the work. License as a noun refers to the agreement document, not the product. > seeing license is just going to confuse them. If by "confuse" you mean "cause to be suspicious" then that's kind of the point, right?
- rlpb 14y ago
  > Do you not still buy and sell licenses? Exactly. Which is why I said that it sellers should be required to use the wording "Buy a license", or something like that, to make sure that customers do not believe that they are buying the digital goods themselves. > And seeing license is just going to confuse them. And I'd be confused if I walked into a store and was asked to sign a long agreement at the checkout. It's the seller who wants to do something confusing instead of doing a simple sale. Why should he be allowed to hide this fact while giving the buyer a much worse and unexpected deal?
mindslight 14y ago
Gosh this is such a terrible feel-good non-solution. The companies will simply jump through whatever legal hoops they have to in the fine print, and merrily continue invading end-users' devices with their infantile controls.

by rlpb 14y ago

dkuntz2 14y ago

Do you not still buy and sell licenses? Sure, it's not the product itself, but a license to use the product, but you're still buying it (it in this case is the license). Sure, maybe using "license this product" instead of "buy this product" is technically more accurate, but at least 90% of customers don't really care. And seeing license is just going to confuse them.

AnthonyMouse 14y ago
>Do you not still buy and sell licenses? You do not buy and sell licenses. License is the verb. You license the work. License as a noun refers to the agreement document, not the product. > seeing license is just going to confuse them. If by "confuse" you mean "cause to be suspicious" then that's kind of the point, right?
rlpb 14y ago
> Do you not still buy and sell licenses? Exactly. Which is why I said that it sellers should be required to use the wording "Buy a license", or something like that, to make sure that customers do not believe that they are buying the digital goods themselves. > And seeing license is just going to confuse them. And I'd be confused if I walked into a store and was asked to sign a long agreement at the checkout. It's the seller who wants to do something confusing instead of doing a simple sale. Why should he be allowed to hide this fact while giving the buyer a much worse and unexpected deal?

mindslight 14y ago

Gosh this is such a terrible feel-good non-solution. The companies will simply jump through whatever legal hoops they have to in the fine print, and merrily continue invading end-users' devices with their infantile controls.