- 17 Jul 2020 06:18
#15108122
So this man was concerned about electronic waste and the effects it has on the environment and was trying to think of innovative new solutions for people to be able to reuse their computers, rather than constantly throwing them out into a landfill and buying a new one.
...
"Restore discs" are a way for computer users to be able to restore their Windows software to the computer's hard drive if it crashes or must be erased. New computers all come with a free restore disc. But computer owners often lose or throw out the discs.
A computer owner could just download the operating system for free, but doing so is a little bit more complicated, so many people just throw out their computer and buy a new one. Then the computer ends up in a landfill.
The thing is, Microsoft does not offer restore discs individually for sale. They only come with a new computer.
So, the Microsoft software is free (onto an already licensed computer) and Microsoft doesn't offer the physical restore disc for sale individually, but offers it free with every computer it sells. In this case, the restore disc simply makes it more convenient to restore the program to your computer, rather than trying to figure out how to download it.
Eric Lundgren had 28,000 discs made and shipped to a broker in Florida. Their plan was to sell the discs to computer refurbishing shops for about 25 cents each, so the refurbishers could provide the discs to used-computer buyers and wouldn't have to take the time to create the discs themselves. It would also allow the new buyer of the pre-owned computer to keep their computer going if there was a problem (since the previous owners almost always lost track of the original restore disc that came with their new computer).
So it doesn't seem like there's any big problem, right?
U.S. Customs officers seized a shipment of discs and began investigating. Law enforcement than coerced the broker in Florida, as part of a sting operation, to tell Lundgren that he wanted to buy the discs himself. The broker then sent Lundgren $3,400, thus constituting a criminal conspiracy.
Lundgren pleaded guilty but argued that the value of his discs was zero, so there was no harm to anyone. Neither Microsoft nor any computer manufacturers sell restore discs. They supply them free with new computers, and make the software available for free downloading, for those who have paid for the software and received a license – typically a sticker with a "certificate of authenticity" number on it. Lundgren said that he was trying to make the discs available again for those who needed them, and that they could only be used on licensed computers.
Representatives for Microsoft claimed a commercial value of the discs at $25, saying that was what Microsoft charged refurbishers for the discs. But these $25 discs also came with a Microsoft license, whereas Lundgren's discs did not. Lundgren's discs were intended only for computers that already had licenses.
Lundgren was sentenced to 15 months in prison and a $50,000 fine.
Lundgren later stated that he believes it's all part of Microsoft's profit model, that the company is counting on computer owners to misplace the free disc so they will be likely to just buy a new computer when the old one crashes.
He says this ruling has set a precedent for Microsoft and other software makers to pursue criminal cases against those seeking to extend the lifespans of computers.
"I am going to prison, and I've accepted it. What I'm not okay with is people not understanding why I'm going to prison. Hopefully my story can shine some light on the e-waste epidemic we have in the United States, how wasteful we are."
...
Electronics-recycling innovator is going to prison for trying to extend computers' lives
http://www.latimes.com/business/technol ... story.html
Sounds like planned obsolescence, where a manufacturer intentionally designs their product to eventually stop working so the customer will have to buy a new one.
...
"Restore discs" are a way for computer users to be able to restore their Windows software to the computer's hard drive if it crashes or must be erased. New computers all come with a free restore disc. But computer owners often lose or throw out the discs.
A computer owner could just download the operating system for free, but doing so is a little bit more complicated, so many people just throw out their computer and buy a new one. Then the computer ends up in a landfill.
The thing is, Microsoft does not offer restore discs individually for sale. They only come with a new computer.
So, the Microsoft software is free (onto an already licensed computer) and Microsoft doesn't offer the physical restore disc for sale individually, but offers it free with every computer it sells. In this case, the restore disc simply makes it more convenient to restore the program to your computer, rather than trying to figure out how to download it.
Eric Lundgren had 28,000 discs made and shipped to a broker in Florida. Their plan was to sell the discs to computer refurbishing shops for about 25 cents each, so the refurbishers could provide the discs to used-computer buyers and wouldn't have to take the time to create the discs themselves. It would also allow the new buyer of the pre-owned computer to keep their computer going if there was a problem (since the previous owners almost always lost track of the original restore disc that came with their new computer).
So it doesn't seem like there's any big problem, right?
U.S. Customs officers seized a shipment of discs and began investigating. Law enforcement than coerced the broker in Florida, as part of a sting operation, to tell Lundgren that he wanted to buy the discs himself. The broker then sent Lundgren $3,400, thus constituting a criminal conspiracy.
Lundgren pleaded guilty but argued that the value of his discs was zero, so there was no harm to anyone. Neither Microsoft nor any computer manufacturers sell restore discs. They supply them free with new computers, and make the software available for free downloading, for those who have paid for the software and received a license – typically a sticker with a "certificate of authenticity" number on it. Lundgren said that he was trying to make the discs available again for those who needed them, and that they could only be used on licensed computers.
Representatives for Microsoft claimed a commercial value of the discs at $25, saying that was what Microsoft charged refurbishers for the discs. But these $25 discs also came with a Microsoft license, whereas Lundgren's discs did not. Lundgren's discs were intended only for computers that already had licenses.
Lundgren was sentenced to 15 months in prison and a $50,000 fine.
Lundgren later stated that he believes it's all part of Microsoft's profit model, that the company is counting on computer owners to misplace the free disc so they will be likely to just buy a new computer when the old one crashes.
He says this ruling has set a precedent for Microsoft and other software makers to pursue criminal cases against those seeking to extend the lifespans of computers.
"I am going to prison, and I've accepted it. What I'm not okay with is people not understanding why I'm going to prison. Hopefully my story can shine some light on the e-waste epidemic we have in the United States, how wasteful we are."
...
Electronics-recycling innovator is going to prison for trying to extend computers' lives
http://www.latimes.com/business/technol ... story.html
Sounds like planned obsolescence, where a manufacturer intentionally designs their product to eventually stop working so the customer will have to buy a new one.