I wish Graphisoft didn't surcharge resale buyers over $2000.

[vfrontiers]

So I have two keys and as it turns out, the economy stinks and I need to sell one of my "assets" to make ends meet. I figure that with the investment made in ArchiCAD over the past 10+ years (and 10 before that with other companies money) that there would be some equity in it.

So following proper procedure, I contact my reseller to find out how to go about selling (I've done it before, so I knew there were some hoops to jump thru). It is here I find out that after I sell my ArchiCAD Key to a 3rd party, THEY will HAVE TO PAY over $2000.00 to register the key in their name!

Ok... so I flipped my lid... and shot back an angry email... but the only response I got... "Well, try reselling AutoCAD" ...

Yes, I am still miffed. I just wonder how many people out there actually know about this policy. The policy has changed over the past 20 years. I am curious about when and how I actually AGREED to this policy. But, like everyone else here, I gloss of the EULA's. Apparently this policy changed around April this year. I am not clear how a company can sell me a product (asset) and then continue, after the fact, to create policy that removes all equity from it.

And the real questions is WHY? "How could it possibly cost $2000.00 to change a name and address in a database? To be fair (someone has to) $600 of it is a FORCED enrollment in the ArchiPLUS program. So at least the buyer will get the next upgrade (if it happens within a year).

Sorry for venting. I love ArchiCAD. I like the people that work there. I like my reseller. I just think this policy is WRONG. So on my tombstone will hang 2 ArchiCAD 12 keys (can't afford to upgrade any longer with this policy in place).

[Ralph Wessel]

Karl wrote:
I will not recommend that any potential new user purchase ArchiCAD until this policy changes...a policy that still is nowhere to be found, other than the email from your reseller.
This is evil and greedy, indeed.

Possibly illegal too - see a US court's take on Autodesk's licensing restrictions here

[vfrontiers]

Ralph wrote:

Karl wrote:
I will not recommend that any potential new user purchase ArchiCAD until this policy changes...a policy that still is nowhere to be found, other than the email from your reseller.
This is evil and greedy, indeed.

Possibly illegal too - see a US court's take on Autodesk's licensing restrictions here

That pretty much sums it up.. 2 points here.

1. I thought it was the goal of Graphisoft to make BETTER that which Autodesk mucked up.

2. The article dealt with the YES / NO version of resale. But the idea that the company can TAX the heck out of the proposed buyer might be a different story.

Thanks for the article....

[Anonymous]

Were doomed!

[Erika Epstein]

Duane,
Have you verified with Graphisoft that this is correct?

[vfrontiers]

Erika wrote:
Duane,
Have you verified with Graphisoft that this is correct?

As my only conduit to Graphisoft is my reseller... I suppose the answer to this is yes?..

[Erika Epstein]

I was looking for something on the graphisoft site. My reseller just confirmed what you told us.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure, but is this illegal in EU?

[Anonymous]

Listen Folks!

(I am aware this might not be a popular view):

When we design a building (or whatever) for a client, we license them to use our design to produce that building. They do not own the design, or even the copies of the drawings. We retain the copyright.

They cannot sell-on our design to another without paying us.

We buy a licence from GS to use their software to make our product (building designs). We don't own the software or have any other rights to it.

Allowing us to sell-on a key at all is pretty generous. The debate is about how much GS should be paid to allow it. If you stop to think how important the software is to your business $2000 seems fair enough to me.

[Ralph Wessel]

Samovar wrote:
When we design a building (or whatever) for a client, we license them to use our design to produce that building. They do not own the design, or even the copies of the drawings. We retain the copyright.
They cannot sell our design on to another without paying us.
We buy a licence from GS to use their software to make our product (building designs). We don't own the software or have any other rights to it.

If we follow this new licensing idea, we should be paid for the design again every time the original building is sold to a new owner. Are you paid repeatedly for your designs when the building changes hands?

A basic premise of fair trade is that a product or service you have paid for should be transferable by exchange to someone else. The key thing is that it must be a genuine transfer, i.e. you can't both sell it to someone else and keep it. If Graphisoft have been paid for a license, and that license remains in use by a single person, why should they be paid for it again? Are they adding some value to the transaction to justify the cost?

[Anonymous]

Ralph!

I see your argument but don't quite agree:

The product of the use-of-the-licence (to build our design) - ie the house - can be resold without paying us, just as we can sell our design for that house again, without paying GS (whose software we used to create the design).

Our work is the design, not the house. They cannot sell our design.

Incidentally, some artists are paid every time one of their works of art is resold, because of the conditions of sale. But then they have usually physically made the art, not just designed it.

The second-hand book and record market is not a good comparison because you buy the book/record for personal entertainment. If you want to use it to make a living (as a radio station say), you have to pay for performance rights as well as owning the physical record.

The main point is that we need GS to make a good living so they can develop and promote ArchiCAD to our advantage. This will be made far harder if they don't benefit from the thriving second-hand market; inevitable when times get tough. My hope is that fellow ArchiCAD users have a technical and competitive advantage so suffer less than others.

BTW - I love using your excellent modular joinery object - and I hope you were well paid!