Thanks to a new judgement made by the United States Court of Appeals, used game and software sales may be a thing of the past.
The decision (linked below) rules that “a software user is a licensee rather than an owner.”
Originally, the suit was brought forward by Autodesk, the makers of the expensive AutoCAD software, who were angry a consumer purchased many copies of the software and then resold them on auction site eBay.
Autodesk wanted to know who, legally, had the rights to the software.
This new ruling does not implicitly imply video games, but games are considered software, so the ruling could affect the used game market, as well.
It will be interesting to see how the major publishers run with this ruling, and we will certainly keep you updated.
Result for: auction site
eBay has launched its new cashback rewards program this weekend, dubbed eBay Bucks, giving U.S. registered users a way to earn 2 percent back on most items they purchase through the popular auction site.
Users simply have to sign up for eBay Bucks, which is completely free, and you will be given 2 percent cashback on your purchases. That cash is then placed in your account, and can be used to take money off future purchases in the marketplace.
You must use PayPal to pay for items to get the cashback.
Furthermore, the cashback accumulates for 90 days before it is paid out to consumers.
A few categories are excluded from the earnings reward, including purchases from Classifieds, Business & Industrial Capital Equipment, Real Estate, and eBay Motors categories (except Parts & Accessories in eBay Motors).
View more details here: eBay Bucks FAQ
Result for: auction site
Internet Auction giant eBay has announced it will sell a majority stake of Skype - amounting to 65 percent of the unit - in a deal with $1.9 billion. The majority stake is being bought up by a group of private investors. The deal values Skype at $2.75 billion, which is less than the $3.1 billion that eBay originally spent on Skype.
Shares of eBay fell more than 2 percent after the news as many analysts are worried that the deal, which was worth more than was generally expected, might curb the growth potential of eBay. The auction site said that selling a majority stake in Skype enables it to focus on its own service and PayPal, and to avoid potential risks of the initial public offering it previously had announced.
Kaufman analyst Aaron Kessler said in a research note that selling the company’s fastest growing business was clearly going to impact its potential for growth, even if the price being paid for the service is great short term news for eBay. It brings back a recurring question however about eBay’s future as it continues to face competition from its main rival Amazon Inc.
The group of buyers includes Index Ventures, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Silver Lake and Andreessen Horowitz.
