Second hand software

  • Thread starter Thread starter akpcep
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akpcep

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Have any of you had any good or bad experiences with buying second hand software? I've got my eye on buying a second hand copy of BBE's Sonic Maximizer software, but if the previous owner has installed it (which they have) what's the deal legally with me installing it on my machine?

I'm just worried in case it gets blocked, or I'm not eligible for updates etc.
 
Every manufacturer treats this issue differently. It would probably be for the best to contact the manufacturer and ask them directly. Manufacturers however can be hard to get ahold of, if you can at all. personally, I say try and get ahold of them. If they absolutely won't answer or return emails etc... I say go for it, assuming you get all the tools (dongles etc...) with whatever it is you buy. Often times there is a relicensing fee involved. Make sure that you know how much that will be and what exactly you have to do. It would suck to buy something used, and then after all the other fee's involved to get it legit have it cost more than just buying it outright.
 
Yes, good advice, and just a quick thing to add. Most software is sold as a license - you are purchasing the right to use this software. Licensing terms vary as well, some are single machine licenses, some are single person licenses. My guess is that a license can be sold or transferred for most software. I work for a software company (nothing to do with audio), and we have a database of all license holders. Switching owners of a license is fairly simple and doesn't cost too much.

Also, along these lines, the company may be more interested in selling you a new license rather than letting you transfer this old one (they don't get a second sale from a transfer). They may try to "sell" you on the idea of purchasing a new license before letting you transfer. If this person has a hacked copy that they are selling you (or one that a bunch of other people are using already), this may or may not be a bad idea. As you mentioned, companies have different policies for upgrades, updates, support, etc.

smtcharlie
 
Thanks fella. I'm pretty sure this is a bona-fide, shop-bought boxed version which the guy is selling simply because he doesn't use it anymore, so it's all above board.
 
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