| Problem | Short Summary | Read deeper | With
Remedy |
| Software Quality | A lot of software is buggy and there is no recourse for consumers. Software that is too good won't create demand for upgrades. | No fee for upgrades helps customers. To keep up value of reserve stock, company would improve product. | |
| Public Contribution | The creation of a standard happens when a lot of "early adopters" and organizations invest resources. The public standard is privatized and tweaked so the public is denied any ROI. | IBM
SKETCH |
Early adopters would be rewarded with splits and ability to resell unused licenses. Licenses do not expire or become obsolete with upgrade |
| Joint Tenancy | Because a software product, like a movie, involves creative contributions from many people, this is used as an excuse to pay a fixed fee for art which is resold infinite times without royalty. | JOINT | Creators could be paid with options for licenses, and can sell out their "moral rights" later. The "studio" system was invented before computers. |
| High Tech Employee | Good content providers want a piece of the action. Thats why salaries and options are through the roof. | JOINT | See Joint Tenancy. Importing slaves from Elbonia who escape to startups when they can pay back their relo package doesnt solve it. |
| Interface Based Monopolies | When a private company gets control of a public communication interface standard, it can tweak it at will, and cause great harm to all. | IBM
PREDATORY |
No upgrade windfalls will reduce incentive for malicious interface tweaks. |
| Taxation of Intangibles | Software sold in stores generates sales tax. Bits downloaded over the net don't. | SKETCH
DOWNSIDE |
Sales of PURLs generate capital gains taxes, taxable revenues for brokers, etc. |
| Software Piracy | People make copies for their friends. There are open black market worldwide. Who does it hurt? | PIRACY
TECHNO |
In human interest to protect value of their cash and stock |
| Predatory Behavior | Here is a steep discount on our license if you destroy your copy of my competitors license. We'll even help convert your files! | PREDATORY | Cannot destroy a competitors license. Cannot afford to give away objects of real value. |
| Conflicting Standards | Malicious upgrades to file formats to prevent predatory behavior | IBM
PREDATORY |
Oligarchy arises with different human interfaces to shared data formats. |
| Charitable Donations | Companies can lower their taxes by giving away tokens which cost nothing. | DOWNSIDE | Donations would be fewer, of real value, and resellable! |
| Public Library problem | Software is not loaned out by public libraries contributing to info-have and info-have-nots. | PIRACY
DOWNSIDE |
Floating licenses with internet brokered install/uninstall enables serial loans |
| Software Pricing | There is no market. Nobody knows how to price their software, unless its is free on infinite auction. | PREDATORY
SECMARK |
With finite supply, prices are volatile and change with quality, supply and demand. |
| Lack of Secondary Market | If GM could afford to buy back old cars at twice the blue book value, there would be no used car market. | SECMARK | License is infinitely durable, no difference between "new" and "old". |