Recycled software broker Discount-Licensing says it fell foul of trademark copyright laws by importing Microsoft licences from the US but reckons its "core" business is squeaky clean and outside the clutches of litigators. It emerged this week that the Birmingham-based small biz trader coughed a "significant sum" in damages …

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Wednesday 5th February 2014 15:54 GMT sorry, what?

Seemed unbiased reporting until the last paragraph

Where the journo then implied that the discounter purposefully broke the law. It also appears to be a US law here, which makes it lots more difficult for a small UK company to know about it let alone intentionally flout it... or am I mistaken?

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Wednesday 5th February 2014 16:31 GMT Anonymous Coward

Nice advert

I wasn't aware of this company. Will check them out right away.

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Wednesday 5th February 2014 16:55 GMT Mage

Levis

There is a problem where Copyright law is consistently being used to stop "grey" reselling. A guy in Dublin BOUGHT clothes in USA and sold them in his shop in Dublin. The Manufacturer closed him down.

The UK used to have Retail Price Maintenance, Books and Drugs were the last to go. The Manufacturer should NOT be able to set the price anywhere other than his own sales and once someone has bought something they should be free to resell ANYWHERE as long as they pay the local duty and taxes.

Levi Jeans did the same. Copyright should not be used to bolster these restrictive trade practices.

People are NOT ripping off copies. They are buying and selling the real product. Of course Music, TV & Cinema rights holders are worse, especially US and Sport with their "divide" and restrictive practices to push up prices in Europe and in many cases deprive Australians entirely. The Media practices and the Manufacturer's Premium prices in UK & Ireland vs USA encourage piracy.

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Wednesday 5th February 2014 17:46 GMT Kevin Johnston

Much clearer now

Very much supports the view from the comments on the earlier story that this case was as much about Microsoft getting a precedent set for future cases. The not quoted but clearly relatively small compensation also leans the story that way.

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Wednesday 5th February 2014 19:46 GMT Anonymous Coward

This really doesnt surprise me in the slightest. The major software corps will be pulling out all the stops with their legal-eagles in order to try and prevent a second-user market from fully emerging in the EU; They have revenue streams and shareholders to protect afterall, don't they!!

Probably another reason why they're all pushing their cloud platforms & apps so proactively too.

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Wednesday 5th February 2014 23:02 GMT AlbertH

Moral?

Don't use licenced software. There's nothing in the "licenced", proprietary sphere that isn't well covered with free, open souce software. Microsoft are seriously scared about the end of their business - their "licence to print money" has been revoked!

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1. Monday 17th February 2014 23:00 GMT wayward4now
  
  Don't use licenced software.
  
  I agree 100%. I haven't used Windows since 3.1.1 and haven't looked back. What pile of suckers tolerates this Orwellian nightmare of permissions to use what you already possess, that you have to PAY for? It boggles the mind.
  
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Thursday 6th February 2014 06:33 GMT Steve Davies 3

So...

I am on business in the US and my laptop goes phut.

I buy legally a new laptop running Windows to use for the remainder of my visit.

I legally declare said laptop when I bring it back and pay all duties etc.

BUT I can't sell that laptop because Microsoft says that if I do I am breaking their copyright?

There is only one answer to that ---> (See icon)

to be dropped on every MS office in the world.

They proclaim to be an international company?

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Thursday 6th February 2014 15:50 GMT Anonymous Coward

FAST's response

FAST's response of expelling them is a concern. I suspect they were leaned on. The should encourage legitimate markets.

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