Autodesk lost it's battle with Timothy Vernor

A Seattle judge ruled in favor of a man arguing that he has the right to sell secondhand software, in a case that had some people worried about an end to used-book and CD stores.

The suit was initially filed by Timothy Vernor after eBay, responding to requests by Autodesk, removed the Autocad software that Vernor was trying to sell on the auction site. EBay later banned Vernor from the site, based on Autodesk's complaints.

Vernor argued that since he was selling legitimate versions of the software -- not illegal copies -- he hadn't violated any laws. Autodesk contends that it doesn't "sell" its software, but instead licenses it and therefore prohibits buyers from reselling it.

Our position on this is you have every right to resell Aladdin 4D if you no longer need it. We recommend selling it for a high price to get some ROI but it's ultimately up to you. We only ask that you send us a one page statement transferring ownership information so we can keep the new customer informed about updates. Autodesk is just trying to make EULA excuses to insure everyone buys brand new copies. They are welcome to do that but it's not very customer friendly. We have no intention of punishing customers for their support. Buy, own and enjoy Aladdin 4D like you would a brand new Porsche. If you move on to LightWave 3D or stop using 3D software sell your copy with our blessing. We hope you had fun while it lasted and maybe you will come back one day.

Autodesk Vs Timothy Vernor