
GM says you don't own your car, you just license it - elmar
https://boingboing.net/2015/05/21/gm-says-you-dont-own-your-ca.html
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pdkl95
The _idiotic_ idea that a license is needed to run software - a power grab by
software companies to bypass the doctrine of first sale - is based on the
opinion in MAI Systems Corp. v. Peak Computer, Inc.[1] that temporary copies
made during the normal use of software are require a license. Even though this
required ignoring 17 U.S.C. § 117 [2] and later cases like UMG Recordings,
Inc. v. Augusto re-affirmed the limitation of first sale, this licensing crap
is usually still a derivation of the idea that copying a program into RAM to
run it is a "copy" and therefor requires a license.

Except... the John Deere and GM situations potentially add a complication. The
software in question is actually _firmware_ , and depending on the
implementation it might be running directly from non-volatile memory
(flash/EEPROM). If no copy is being made, isn't the entire argument about a
license being required invalidated?

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAI_Systems_Corp._v._Peak_Comp...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAI_Systems_Corp._v._Peak_Computer,_Inc).

[2]
[https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/117](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/117)

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greenyoda
It's also idiotic that copyright law would prevent me from reading GM's
software and modifying it for my personal use. As far as I understand the
intent of copyright, it should only prevent me from re-selling GM's software
(or a derivative work that's substantially based on it). If GM has a software-
controlled braking system that they want to prevent other car manufacturers
from copying, shouldn't that be covered by a patent?

Imagine how silly it would be if copyright law prevented you from reading a
novel that you just bought, or scribbling notes on the book's pages, or
publishing an essay analyzing its characters.

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dozzie
So let GM fix all the mechanical issues as well, and on their cost. It's
licensed, after all.

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PeekPoke
Sounds like a good reason not to buy GM vehicles to me, it's not like there is
a lack of competition out there...

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elmar
This post as 5 points and 4 comments from different people interesting, now as
5.

