Path: utzoo!utgpu!utstat!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!agate!saturn!ucscc.UCSC.EDU!haynes From: haynes@ucscc.UCSC.EDU (Jim Haynes) Newsgroups: comp.misc Subject: Re: Ethics of crippler circuitry Message-ID: <6322@saturn.ucsc.edu> Date: 11 Feb 89 05:41:28 GMT References: <7143@pyr.gatech.EDU> <11630010@hpsmtc1.HP.COM> <4602@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM> <750@pccuts.pcc.amdahl.com> Sender: usenet@saturn.ucsc.edu Reply-To: haynes@ucscc.UCSC.EDU (Jim Haynes) Organization: California State Home for the Weird Lines: 25 In article js9b+@andrew.cmu.edu (Jon C. Slenk) writes: >One must realize that a company has every right to do whatever they wish to do >with thier stuff. If they believe they can reap better profits by 'crippling' a >machine and selling it as low-end with lots-o-sales, then they have every right >to. > >If someone makes something, they can do what they wish with it. There's also a legal doctrine of first sale I read about recently. Once something is sold the seller can't restrain the buyer from doing as he pleases with it, so long as what he does is not illegal. This came up in an article about videotapes. Originally the film companies expected tapes to be sold; but the high prices stimulated creation of the rental business, and because of the doctrine of first sale the film companies can't prevent rentals. They can of course prevent making copes, since that violates copyright law. But once they sell you the tape you can keep it or give it away or rent it or burn it. Article said they were lobbying to get the law changed so as to give them some control over use of the product, but so far they have been rebuffed. haynes@ucscc.ucsc.edu haynes@ucscc.bitnet ..ucbvax!ucscc!haynes "Any clod can have the facts, but having opinions is an Art." Charles McCabe, San Francisco Chronicle