Software Downloads can now be Resold

What happened? 

A European Court has ruled that downloaded software can be resold in the same way as boxed software. A judge ruled in favor of UsedSoft, which Oracle claimed was breaking its terms and conditions by selling "used" licenses. The court ruled that software buyers can resell a license, but then must stop using it. It added that multi-user licenses can't be divided to be sold individually.

How will it affect you? 

Its early days, but it could eventually create a market for second-hand software and games download, letting you resell items once you've finished with them, and pick up cheap programs from other sellers. This is still some way off, and legal appeals and technical obstacles might mean it never happens at all, but it could mean cheaper software is on the horizon.

What do we think? 

It's an intriguing idea, and why not? We can resell software that comes on discs, but many developers, from huge corporations like Microsoft to games designers selling on Steam, are moving away from DVDs to digital downloads. At the moment, that prevents users from reselling a program or passing it on to a friend, but this ruling could change that. Hopefully, it will lead to a sensible second-hand market that isn't blocked by foolish digital-rights management (DRM).