# How can they sell this software so cheaplhy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 16, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-they-sell-this-software-so-cheaplhy/280159 "2004-12-16T15:39:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-they-sell-this-software-so-cheaplhy/280159/1 "2004-12-16T15:39:39Z")
Today I received an e-mail directing me to [URL=]this site . Photoshop for $90? I don’t see how. Is it pirated software. Or maybe just a scam to hook in the suckers into sending money? ---
**Author:** ![Alvis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alvis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alvis)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-they-sell-this-software-so-cheaplhy/280159/2 "2004-12-16T15:49:14Z")
How can they? They can’t. This guy runs multiple websites that track back to his postal address (ie, [iBackups.net](http://iBackups.net)). It’s near impossible to say without going through the ordering process, but it looks totally fradulent. ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-they-sell-this-software-so-cheaplhy/280159/3 "2004-12-16T15:56:47Z")
Scam. Probably selling pirated copies of software. If it’s too good to be true, it’s bogus. Besides, you got the page in a spam email. That should say it all. ---
**Author:** ![D.E.S.K.Top668](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@D.E.S.K.Top668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D.E.S.K.Top668)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-they-sell-this-software-so-cheaplhy/280159/4 "2004-12-16T20:25:49Z")
From their Terms of Sevice; > [@](#): > > 9.1 You understand that in order for Net Trade to make you a copy of any software, you acknowledge that you are the legal owner of this same software, and are looking to just make a new copy for archival (backup) purposes only. You also agree to destroy all copies of the software in the event it is ever no longer voluntarily in your possession. You understand that only the licensed owner (with a valid serial number, where applicable) of the various software found on Net Trade may use the services located here. You also acknowledge that the software you have was obtained legally and that you have the legal right to request this backup copy to be made. If you obtained your version though any other means, including any pirated versions, or if you do not already legally own the same version of the software requested, then you may not use this service. In other words, they’re selling full copies of the software, but not with a license key. It’s only for people who want back-ups for already owned software who don’t know that the manufacturer will usually send you new discs at a nominal charge if you provide them with a legit key. So yeah, it is a scam. You get what you paid for (a full copy), but not what you assumed (a full, _useable_ copy) Peace - DESK ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-they-sell-this-software-so-cheaplhy/280159/5 "2004-12-16T23:15:48Z")
[Naive] Or maybe the company got a concsience (sic) and decided to sell at a reasonable price once they had recovered R&D costs? [/Naive] 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-they-sell-this-software-so-cheaplhy/280159/6 "2004-12-16T23:29:31Z")
> [@D.E.S.K.Top668](#): > > It’s only for people who want back-ups for already owned software And who are these people that pay $90 for backups? I certainly don’t know of anyone. If you want a backup you buy a CD burner and do it yourself for a fraction of the price. The whole ‘buying for a backup’ disclaimer is a transparent attempt at shifting the legal obligation off the seller onto the buyer. No-one really believes that the transaction has anything to do with backups. It’s piracy. Plain and simple. Now, you all do realise that the OP’s link has a tracking code on it and we’ve ensured **galen** gets lots more spam and the spammer picks up a healthy referal fee? > [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Or maybe the company got a concsience (sic) and decided to sell at a reasonable price once they had recovered R&D costs? I don’t follow your logic. Do you work for half your wage once you have covered your living costs? ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-they-sell-this-software-so-cheaplhy/280159/7 "2004-12-17T09:36:16Z")
> [@Futile Gesture](#): > > I don’t follow your logic. Do you work for half your wage once you have covered your living costs? yes, it is called marginal tax rates ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-they-sell-this-software-so-cheaplhy/280159/8 "2004-12-17T10:41:12Z")
> [@Futile Gesture](#): > > Now, you all do realise that the OP’s link has a tracking code on it and we’ve ensured **galen** gets lots more spam and the spammer picks up a healthy referal fee? I saw that when I hovered over the link, so I didn’t click it. Maybe that link should be removed? ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-they-sell-this-software-so-cheaplhy/280159/9 "2004-12-17T11:16:04Z")
I wondered about this too, so a while ago I called Adobe about it. They say that it is not illegal to sell “back ups.” But obviously, these type of sellers are shady because they give people the impression they are buying the _license_ to Photoshop, which they are not. They’re just buying the right to get a copy of the actual application. The Adobe representative I talked to said that they frequently get calls from customers who “bought” software from one of these places, and they now want to register it (or, they want a serial number). Adobe can only tell them that they’re out of luck. The person I talked to also said that sometimes these places will not _officially_ give the customer a serial number–i.e. license–since that would be illegal, but they’ll slip one to the customer’s email address, or somehow furtively give them a “lead” on where to get a serial number. Also, a few years ago I bought a “back up” CD from Adobe itself. I’d bought Photoshop on eBay, and they gave me a fully legit, fully registerable license for the current version of Photoshop. But the CD was for an older version (I don’t know why the eBay vendor did that). I called Adobe, told them everything, and they said that there was no reason why I shouldn’t register the Photoshop serial number in my own name. However, I had no CD. They said if I could get a copy of the software from a friend, that would be fine, but they could send me out a replacement CD for $25. They did. I used the serial number that I registered and everything worked fine. The representative also said that they _never_ sell a “downloadable” version of their software, so if you find a place that sells “downloads,” it’s not sanctioned by Adobe. However, if you truly have lost your CD to Photoshop and you just need a backup, then I guess you can give these people $80 and buy a backup through them. (Of course, if a replacement copy is all that you are looking for, you can easily get a friend to burn a copy of their software, and then you can use your own serial number–you know, the number that you have legally registered with Adobe.) ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-they-sell-this-software-so-cheaplhy/280159/10 "2004-12-17T11:39:59Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I saw that when I hovered over the link, so I didn’t click it. Maybe that link should be removed? I hope you’re wrong. I hit the link to see what the OP was talking about. (I already own the programs I would want from the site) but don’t know about the “hover” to see that it’s a scam site. I went back to the OP and hovered the cursor, but didn’t see anything that would make it an obvious scam. What am I missing? Or more important, what should I look for? And can any mod shutting this down make a sticky for us drones not knowing what to look for? ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-they-sell-this-software-so-cheaplhy/280159/11 "2004-12-17T12:04:55Z")
> [@yosemite](#): > > The Adobe representative I talked to said that they frequently get calls from customers who “bought” software from one of these places, and they now want to register it (or, they want a serial number). Adobe can only tell them that they’re out of luck. I’m going to be very careful in this response. (And very vague). Mods, if this is overstepping the boundaries, I’ll accept the warning. But keep in mind I’m doing everything I can to avoid a banning as I’m not offering a way to break any laws. Just a way to let those breaking the law a way to get legal. **yosemite** , e-Bay is a haven for illegitimate and pirated software. It’s the online warehouse for P2P-burned software sold cheap. Most of it requires registration within a certain time frame. Key-generaters? Not so good when the computer tries to access the site to register it. (full disclosure, my copy of Win XP is the 3rd on my comp, first I paid for) The best bet for software gotten this way is to call the company help line, tell them you were “given” the software and ask how you can make it right with the company. They’ll require some sort of payment, but it will be likely to be much less than what you’d pay if you had bought it retail. This gets you legal, plus full tech support, plus no chance of getting nailed by the FBI. And if they refuse to work with you, eh, they won’t. It’s money in thier pockets. Lost money if they won’t give you a key number after paying them. For the majority of pirates, if you call the company and offer to pay for registration, you’re going to get a deal. Keep in mind, if they don’t want to give a deal for some honesty, they’ll lose a shitload more money with pissed off people spreading even more pirated copies. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-they-sell-this-software-so-cheaplhy/280159/12 "2004-12-17T14:29:27Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > I’m going to be very careful in this response. (And very vague). Mods, if this is overstepping the boundaries, I’ll accept the warning. But keep in mind I’m doing everything I can to avoid a banning as I’m not offering a way to break any laws. Just a way to let those breaking the law a way to get legal. Do not attempt this again. You have been warned. This thread is asked, answered, and closed. - **xash** General Questions Moderator