Thread: Yes, you bought it but is it yours?

There is this concept when you buy something it is yours to do with as you please. However, you know when you "buy" many things like software for instance you don't really own it rather you have a license to use it and you agree to all kinds of restrictions.

There is a move about to expand that so if you buy anything especially copyrighted items and intellectual property items you don't own it and can't do as you please. Costco just lost a case where they bought Omega watches in the orient and sold them here at discount. Omega Sued and won the case because they were selling copyrighted items.

There is a case in the Supreme Court which will have the potential to expand on this concept and affect many other items. Right now items producted outside the U.S but sold here already have severe restrictions and these could be tilted towards U.S made items too.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/1...n-under-threat

Have a look.

Nice, finally!

I don't know about the second case but the Omega one sounds like they were trying to protect their established supply chain and stop so called "grey market" sales. If you buy Nikon gear in the US just try getting warranty work done in Canada. You will likely be told to send it back to the US where you bought it for repair. The copyright issue looks to me like a convenient way to try and maintain the the official supply chain and protect regional distributors and retailers.

The internal US case is another can of worms altogether.

Bob

Anything built to last isn't really "yours" per se, just in your posession for a lifetime. Straight razors are a good example; a vintage razor is "yours" just as it was somebody elses in the 19th century when it was brand new, not to mention the owners in between. Long after you are gone it will pass on to somebody else.

It reminds me of a lyric from a great song by one of my favourites, Neil Young (surprise, surprise ) called This Old Guitar:

"This old guitar ain't mine to keep
It's mine to play for a while
This old guitar ain't mine to keep
It's only mine for a while"

Here is interesting example relating to plant seeds.

http://www.worc.org/userfiles/Unders...ent%202-06.pdf

And here are a couple of quotes.


Farmers accept all the terms of the Technology
Agreement (TA) by signing it or simply opening
a bag of Monsanto’s seed. Farmers have no
opportunity or rights to negotiate the terms of the
contract.


Patents
afford Monsanto ownership of its GM seeds even after a farmer purchases and plants the seeds.

There is no time limit to this contract—Monsanto
can review a farmer’s documents, fields and
crops even after the farmer has stopped growing
Monsanto’s seeds.

I grew up on a farm but haven't farmed in years. I have heard of this and this thread got me interested in looking into it further. This is one of the first things I have found and will have to continue looking.

Tim

Hi. I know it's on a tangent, but when I saw the thread title I thought it was about the concept of not ever owning anything really. I like the idea that I'm a caretaker of the old vintage stuff I have like razors and cameras; just until someone else comes along and looks after it all when I'm gone. I'm also caretaker of my little 1.4 acre plot of land, not owner...Just thought I'd make that comment, even though it's irrelevant really...

[EDIT], that's supposed to say a quarter of an acre, not 1.4 acres! I'm no Landowner!!!