I, yesterday, started some eBay auctions (see recent posts here). Included were some Japanese Mac OS 9 install CD's. I got an email today that eBay had pulled that auction. Here's what the email said:
"270250253857 - JAPANESE Apple Mac OS 9 install and recovery disks G4
The listing was removed because it violated eBay policy. We notified members who placed bids on the item that the listing has been canceled.
The rights owner, BSA (Business Software Alliance) (US), notified eBay that this listing violates intellectual property rights. When eBay receives a report of this type of violation, we remove the listing to comply with the law."
These were standard G4 install disks, not pirated. Anyone got a clue why there's a problem with these when any quick perusal of the Mac OS auctions on eBay has many machine specific Mac OS install disks listed:
Why's eBay picking on me? And who is BSA? What are they doing with the rights?
I've tried to upload a photo of the CD's but I keep getting a message that the upload directory is full.
The CD's say copyright 2000 Apple Computers, Inc. on them. Nobody else.
BSA are a bunch of bullies that like to goad workers into ratting out their companies for using pirated software. They are Microsoft lovers to the core. FWIW, I don't support piracy in the work place but the BSA makes my skin crawl more.
From what I read on the wikipedia page about them it sounds like they're simply a bunch of lawyers who realized there was a lucrative niche opportunity to leverage themselves into between producer and consumer and that if they've any love for Microsoft it goes as far as the tinkle of coins falling into the back pockets of the rent-a-cop's uniforms they put on during office hours. Obviously, they do NOT own the rights to the Japanese version of Mac OS 9 installation software, but have secured themselves as agents of the owners, and to prove to their clients that they are diligently at work for the best interests of those clients, they've probably hired someone, maybe not even in this country, at some minimum wage rate, to daily scan the eBay auctions looking for matter than can be pointed at as infringement. Of course, that is my own meagerly informed speculations based on the hearsay evidence presented on that page and does not in any way reflect the opinions of Tom Owad, the owners, management, and staff of the Applefritter website and associated enterprises.
How that someone searching eBay distinguished between my gray Japanese OS CD's and the numerous other gray Mac install disks up for auction, I'd sure like to know. And I'd also like to know if Apple actually applauds this type of action.
if the disks came bundled with a Mac tehy´re OEM and therefore youre not allowed to sell them seperatly.
btu of course nobody cares about this... and most time not even ebay. Id jsut try to start teh auction again
Are you sure about that? Is there a line in the EULA that says the discs cannot be separated from the machine? OWC sells OEM discs all the time. In fact, I have OS X 10.1, 10.2, and 10.3 disc (all grey) that I bought from them.
Peace,
Drew
I wonder about that myself. I purchased OS X 10.2 from OHS and it said on the CD's for the eMac but the install CD's had a list of the Mac's they would work on. I also sold several of the OEM software bundels I had on e-Bay three years ago and there was no issue with selling them then