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Of course you can do things like that. Don't sell the cow, sell people a license to keep, pet, and feed the cow, etc. The license stipulates that the cow's milk

Of course you can do things like that. Don't sell the cow, sell people a license to keep, pet, and feed the cow, etc. The license stipulates that the cow's milk and calves remain the property of the lessor. How do you think software licenses work? You don't own any propiertary software, you own the license to use it under certain circumstances. You're renting it really, just with (usually) a one time payment.

6stringmerc 12y ago
...but if you purchase a car, and the car will not run without the software, did you purchase a license for the car? There is a distinction here that may be worth considering which goes counter to practical application. If a car is "owned" but the software is "leased" then there's a new kind of transactional contract that needs to be set forth in plain language...or lawyered until the cows come home...
- ChikkaChiChi 12y ago
  Continuing along that line of thought: What is the role and responsibility of the manufacturer in continuing service once the service agreement on the vehicle is up? The lines of demarcation grow hazy when you are dealing with physical ownership of property and you are governing rights management under the auspices of protecting us from ourselves.