Re: OMG!

[CUTjefbla@bconnex.net (Jeff Blakeney)]

On Tue, 08 May 2001 10:10:02 +0200, "Sheldon Simms"
<sheldon@interprice.com> wrote:

>Im Artikel <3af6f7b7.182938562@news1.on.sympatico.ca> schrieb "Jeff
>Blakeney" <CUTjefbla@bconnex.net>:
>
>> If that is your attitude, you better stop buying stuff at any stores.
>> The stores have already compensated the distributors who have
>> compensated the publishers who either are the copyright holders or have
>> compensated the copyright holders.  You buying something from a store
>> only compensates the store and does nothing in the long run for the
>> copyright holder.
>
>Nonsense. A store is a distribution channel for rights holders, and
>sales in a store translate directly into gain for the rights holders.

No they don't.  Sales to the stores translates directly into gain for
the rights holders.  What happens after the stores gets those items
doesn't matter to the rights holder at all.

There may be instances where the rights holder has set up a
consignment sale system (where the store gives the rights holder a
percentage of the sale price after the item is sold) but that would be
a rare case.

In almost all cases, the stores own the copies of the software that
they sell.

>None of that applies to second hand sales.

How is it different?

If I, as an individual, were to buy 100 copies of a piece of software
and sell them at a flea market, on eBay or at yard sales, how is that
any different from what a store is doing?  Both the stores and I own
the copies we have and the rights holder has been paid for those
copies.  Whether we sell them or not does not affect how much the
rights owner gets paid because they have already been paid.

Admittedly, in this case, I wouldn't really be selling "used" copies
but what difference is there between a store bought copy and a used
copy?  The main difference is that a store bought copy will almost
certainly be a never used, never opened copy with everthing still in
the box where a used copy will have been used so could have some wear
and tear and may not include everything that was originally in the
box.  The other big difference is the price.  Used copies sell for
less than a new copy because of the wear and tear and lack of all
original materials.

--
 Jeff Blakeney - Dean of the Apple II Unversity on A2Central.com