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OEM Adobe CS3: Am I getting scammed?

T

tristan

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 19, 2003
765
0
high-rise in beautiful bethesda
A guy on Craigslist is offering to sell me Adobe CS3 for $300 for my PBG4, but he says its a PC/MAC OEM version. Is that a problem? He says that OEM versions can get all of the updates. Anything else I should be aware of?

Thanks for your help.
 
OEM CS? Nope... doesn't exist. Can't think of any kind of machine that this might ship with...
 
tristan said:
A guy on Craigslist is offering to sell me Adobe CS3 for $300 for my PBG4, but he says its a PC/MAC OEM version. Is that a problem? He says that OEM versions can get all of the updates. Anything else I should be aware of?

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

"OEM" stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer, which means, say Sony might be the OEM for Apple's optical drive in a MacPro.

It has no meaning for software, and "OEM software" generally (although without knowing specifically about your 'seller') is a code word for pirated software with cracked licenses.

This is distinct from bundled software, which is sold as a bundle with hardware (like iPhoto with a new Mac) and which also is not permitted to be sold separately.

The other software scam is people selling site licence media packs (the software install CDs sold to universities and corporations under a site or volume license program.) These CDs have no documentation, no license with them and no serial number. The license to use the program is purchased by the institution on a contract basis. Scammers will get ahold of these CDs, and put them with a cracked serial number. While the CD is "genuine" the serial and the license are not. You will not be able to upgrade.

Re: Site licensing: the license that an institution buys generally only allows for employees or students to use the sofware within the company's premises, or only for as long as they are a student / employee. The license to use the program remains with the institution, and is not transferrable to an individual or anyone not employed by / attending the institution. So "off-sales" of 'genuine site license software' is usually not legal.

>He says that OEM versions can get all of the updates.

Great. What is your recourse when you find out he lied?
 
Blah Blah Blah - Not entirely correct !

CanadaRAM said:
"OEM" stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer, which means, say Sony might be the OEM for Apple's optical drive in a MacPro.

It has no meaning for software, and "OEM software" generally (although without knowing specifically about your 'seller') is a code word for pirated software with cracked licenses.
Click to expand...

<begin rant>
Sorry, this is blatantly BULLS*IT - OEM software is not like OEM Hardware . . . . . but it is the term for a licenced version of the software that is often (but not always) bundled with a PC. For instance, it is possible to purchase a DELL PC that has Windows VISTA Business (for example), bundled with it. This is identical in every way functionally to the retail licenced version of VISTA Business, but the licence "ties" it to the original PC that it was bundled with (and officially dies when the PC dies). Now if that copy of VISTA is sold on to a third party, the licence is "officially" Null and Void. This however does NOT make it a cracked or pirated product. - In this case, if a PC from a manufacturer came bundled with an OEM copy of CS3 (and I have NOT seen one) then AFAIK the user is free to pass that software onto a third party so long as it has not been installed (and in Adobe policy - ACTIVATED) then I personally cannot see it being more than "bending" the rules. I must add though, that the version of CS3 that I use was in packaging for the MAC only - I have only seen it in EITHER PC or Mac format, not both - this, and this alone sets alarm bells ringing. <end rant>
 
CanadaRAM said:
It has no meaning for software, and "OEM software" generally (although without knowing specifically about your 'seller') is a code word for pirated software with cracked licenses.
Click to expand...
This is absolutely false :) While it is an abused term...there most certainly is legitimate oem software
 
Did you miss the part about "bundled" vs. OEM?

Bundled software (or called OEM in the case of Windows operating systems - most companies don't use the term) is sold bundled with hardware and the licence prevents the sale or resale of the software separately from the hardware. http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/antipiracy/piracy_faq.html So it would still be a scam.

Plus, pointing out that Microsoft OS's can be called OEM if bundled, in no way invalidates that statements that:

1) Adobe software is not sold separately as OEM, although in some cases it is sold bundled (see above why that still doesn't matter)

2) "OEM Software" is a long-abused 'excuse' for software pirates.
http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/faq/a/softwarescams.htm
Most software advertised as OEM are not actually genuine OEM disks being sold illegally, but are flat out copies. If you doubt it, I will forward you the 50 or so emails I get per day offering me OEM sofware for $9 per disk.

Just like the $800 MacBook Pro machine that is being sold on every craigslist in the world -- if you could dredge up one instance of a real MacBook Pro having been sold for $800 somewhere, it does not mean that the other 99.99% of them are not scams.

Aaaannnddd... if bundled software is sold on, it would not be 'legal' in terms of the EULA, and it would not be upgradeable or possibly could not be activated (depending on the software company). In most cases, the terms of purchase for the software specifically prohibit resale or transfer, regardless whether it was ever installed on the original machine or not.

But we are arguing (needlessly, endlessly) over terminology. It's $1800 software being sold for $300. Of course it's a %&@#ing scam. Tristan, you really shouldn't have had to ask.
 
It sounds likely the seller is trying to sell me and fifty other people the same copy of CS3, which will be quite a problem when we all try to register and upgrade.

Thanks for the help. It sounded too good to be true of course, but I wanted some help to figure out exactly what I was being sold. Now I'm pretty sure I know.
 
regardless of the terminology (OEM or bundled) seems we all agree this is almost certainly a scam.

is there any way to report that guy to Adobe? does Adobe go after people like this?

i hate scammers
 
tristan said:
A guy on Craigslist is offering to sell me Adobe CS3 for $300 for my PBG4, but he says its a PC/MAC OEM version. Is that a problem? He says that OEM versions can get all of the updates. Anything else I should be aware of?

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

In all of these cases the best thing to do is email the company to makes the software in this case Adobe and ask them if you would be getting a legal incensed copy. I'm selling a copy of Apple's FCP and I'm telling skeptics to ask apple and not take my word for it that they will be getting the "real deal". Anyone seling software should be happy to have to check this way

Sometimes Adobe does bundle software. I got a copy of Photoshop Elements with both my scanner and with my Wacom tablet. I don't need two copies. So I could sell one of them. There is no restrictions on this marked on the disc or paperwork. Sothis would be "OEM" Adobe software that I'm pretty sure is re-sellable and upgradable. But I doubt CS3 would be bundled like Elements
 
ChrisA said:
... I got a copy of Photoshop Elements with both my scanner and with my Wacom tablet. I don't need two copies. So I could sell one of them. There is no restrictions on this marked on the disc or paperwork. Sothis would be "OEM" Adobe software that I'm pretty sure is re-sellable and upgradable. But I doubt CS3 would be bundled like Elements
Click to expand...

typically, the EULA will restrict your right to sell bundled software saying that you have to sell the hardware it was bundled with if you want to sell the software....so check the EULA
 
pseudobrit said:
So they're giving you the computer free with the purchase of CS3? This deal looks even better now!
Click to expand...

If you got the Adobe Master Collection with the Mac Mini, is the computer coming with the software, or the other way around?
 
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