Locking Down the Digital Cat
This is what happens when the genetic code of an animal matters, as here, with "the world's first scientifically-proven hypoallergenic cat":Purchaser shall not sell or transfer any Cat purchased hereunder to anyone other than an immediate family member, and shall not offer to any person the purchase of a Cat or any genetic material from a Cat, the rights Purchaser may have under this Agreement, or any other right related hereto, without the Company’s express written authorization.
In other words, you don't really own the cat, you just have a licence to use it, like any other software. And don't even think about giving a copy of the genome to a friend.... (Via BoingBoing.)
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2 comments:
I am not sure that this is legal as you are still buying the cat, as a physical object, rather than a copy of the genetic code (which they would then have to claim some form of copyright on). After all, you can sell, transfer, burn, throw-away books.
I would have thought the buyer would be protected under the first sale doctrine under UK law.
Yes, that's an interesting point. Without doubt the lawyers are going to have fun with this kind of thing.
I suspect that you *won't* buy the cat, just licence it and its code....
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