scott <sco### [at] scottcom> wrote:
> The law is not on the author's side - an author can't give you something 
> for free then come around a week later and demand you pay for it.

Many companies (including Adobe, a bit ironically in the context of this
conversation) offer free licenses to students. The stipulation is that
when you stop being a student, you can't use the software legally anymore
without acquiring a new license.

So yes, companies have full right to distribute something for free and
then later demand money.

And this particular case is not even that. They are offering a download
of their software *for people who have a legal license*. They have said
so themselves. It's not like they are offering it for free and then
expecting you to pay for it. They are expecting you to already own a
license before you use the software. And they have full legal right to
do so.

(Ok, it might depend on the jurisdiction. According to Finnish law,
that's *exactly* how it goes. It doesn't matter how you get the software,
if you don't have a valid license to use it, then you can't legally use it.
Most countries have similar laws.)

-- 
                                                          - Warp

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