I just noticed someone selling a open source product for just over $50.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Office-Professional-2013-Business…
The item does say Office Professional 2013 but it's a picture of Open Office and in the description it states that you will not get a microsoft product and to make things worse there is no feedback reporting this sellers bad practice. It seems their are some gullible people online. I reckon more needs to be done to keep them protected. I've noticed lots of similar things on eBay, and as usual the random new account with zero feedback selling 100's of Samsung Galaxy S3's with free postage (just as an example).
Scams on eBay
dmc900 on 05/03/2013 - 00:01
Last edited 05/03/2013 - 00:45
Last edited 05/03/2013 - 00:45
Comments
This guy is also selling a "2013 Flight Simulator" which is supposed to be open-source FlightGear.
(Note this isn't actually illegal according to the GNU GPL license. The clause explicitly states: "You can charge any fee you wish for distributing a copy of the program".
This $39.99 Rescue disk? is most likely Hirens Boot CD.
I've noticed lots of similar things on eBay, and as usual the random new account with zero feedback selling 100's of Samsung Galaxy S3's with free postage (just as an example).
This one is obviously a scam and is illegal — seller failing to deliver goods or selling a knock-off product counts as a breach of contract law.
However selling open-source software that has simply been given a new coat of paint and a rebadge is apparently not — this category is more of an ethical dilemma rather than a legal one.
- for the open source flight simulator.
Hey Scrim,
Have you got an article relating to this:
However selling open-source software that has simply been given a new coat of paint and a rebadge is apparently not — this category is more of an ethical dilemma rather than a legal one.
Would make a good read.
FlightGear Flight Simulator version 1.9.1 has been actively marketed over the Internet under several aliases and product names, including but not limited to Virtual Pilot 3D, Flight Pro Sim, Pro Flight Simulator, Earth Flight Sim, Real Flight Simulator and Flight Simulator Plus.[5] Usually, $47 USD is charged for the main program and $67 USD is charged for the full World Scenery Package……blah blah blah
Because FlightGear is licensed under the GNU General Public License, this is fully legal; however, the morals of these operations are questionable, as many customers who have purchased these products are very dissatisfied with what they receive and feel they have been scammed.[18] … blah blah
The FlightGear developer team made an official statement/FAQ about the situation.[4]
Source: Wikipedia
Illegal or not, if you hate what these people do, report their listings and Ebay will take it down and ask questions later. So even if they can weasel their way out, you still disrupt and waste their time.
It's unlikely that Ebay will take it down and ask questions later. When sellers are doing the wrong thing they usually take their sweet time, IF they do anything at all.
Nope, I've had first hand experience that Ebay will take down things first and ask questions later. I was trying to sell my Calvin Klein perfume that I got as a birthday present but just wanted quick cash so I listed it for a much much cheaper price than everyone else.
It's my suspicion, that the other sellers where trying to stop me undercutting them, so I got an Ebay message saying my listing was taken down for copyright infringement by a reporter and that if I wanted to dispute this claim I had to email their provided Ebay address. I thought it might have been a mistake so I relisted it, and two days later the same thing happened. Frustrated by this, I took new pictures of my perfume, added a new listing description and listed it on my Power seller account (with 3000+ feedback)…exact same message two days later. I know for a fact that my perfume is 100% legit since it was clearly purchased from Myer.
Clearly the system is automated, and relies on those accused to deputes in order to get any human decisions to be made.
i went to list my empty ipad mini box. (because people pay money for a box). auction got pulled. not before it hit $65.
I've reported it as fake,
THanks OP
As @scrimshaw has already stated, it is not illegal to sell open source software. Even Richard Stallman sold the "free" software, with source code included, at the beginning (although he did wrote those software).
Nor the seller claiming that it's MS Office 2013, but rather a REPLACEMENT. Even spelt out that it's OpenOffice.org which anyone can go and visit the website, and realise that you can download the software for free. What that eBay seller is obligated to do however, is to provide the source code (or a link to the source code), if the buyer requests it (as required by LGPLv3 or ALv2).
I guess it's more of "immoral" rather than "illegal" here. Not that much different from those who buy cheap stuff from sales listed on OzBargain, and then resell them on eBay, to profit from those who are not in the know.
Ended 04 Mar, 201321:09:06 AEDST
Winning bid: AU $51.01 [ 9 bids ]
Postage: FREE Standard delivery
Item location: Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Seller: Member id software-oem$51.01 with 9 bids … wow. And note his/her name : "software-oem".
Good chance that is a sock puppet to get feedback.
edit: Sorry thought you were saying that was the buyer's name.
http://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/misleading-claims-advertisi…
Small print cannot contradict large print.
The item does say Office Professional 2013 but it's a picture of Open Office
Selling a copy of Open Office as "Office Professional 2013" is misleading.
On a side note what the hell is "Office Professional 2013"?
That would be "Microsoft" Office Professional 2013
was it PT Barnum who said,
There's a sucker born every minute.
It does say that and also does have Microsoft Office Replacement in bold font.
I definitely disagree with profiting from freely available software, but the person who won the auction would be someone who buys Microsoft Office from retail store. So since they never heard of OpenOffice, they could have saved themselves $150 by not having to purchase MS Office from a retailer.
I still do think the seller should be banned.