Do not ever EVER forget to unpair your Tazer, you WILL pay

[OminousSkitter]

Maybe I’m not understanding correctly. How is it NOT about them protecting and restricting use of their IP? That’s the actual product they’re providing isn’t it? The hardware is simply a means of delivery of what the actual product is - software to allow you to access and modify parameters in the Jeep’s control system that you can’t otherwise access. Is this wrong? Please explain.

The software without the hardware that allows you to run it and talk with the vehicle's computer is useless. You cannot buy the software and your own OBDII communication device. It requires the hardware to work; they are coupled and sold together. They are selling hardware that has software on it, and they're restricting the use of the hardware.

If that’s the case, how is it different than Microsoft telling my company that I have to purchase a license to run Office 365 on all 100 of my workstations at my company rather than buy 1 piece of software and copy it 100 times?

With Microsoft 365, you are buying a license to use the software and not the software. In fact, you can easily download the software for free. Microsoft even hosts copies of the software to download for free. You must buy a licenses per [computer/network user/whatever type of license you buy]. Microsoft at one point tried to say if you altered your computer, this is a new computer and you must buy a new license to use Office. This included things like changing the CPU or even the HDD; I believe RAM upgrades were allowed and did not "substantially alter the computer". This was legally challenged, and Microsoft lost.

In your question, all 100 copies of software could run on 100 different computers (hardware) at the same time. With a tazer, it's 1 copy of software running on 1 piece of hardware at a time.

Imagine if you had to 'unpair' Microsoft 365 from a network every time you moved your computer. If you didn't, you had to pay to change networks. That's more or less ZAuto's policy.

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[OminousSkitter]

There's actually TONS of legal precedent about this. This is why I choose to ship electrons rather than atoms; as soon as it's coupled to hardware, the laws are very different with restrictions on use.

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

Thanks. Although I’m still not 100% sure that I understand.

I do know that I don’t like the policy myself any more than OP does. But it is their policy for using and porting their product so it’s a take it or leave it situation. It’s not a “gotcha” type deal, you know this going in. Some companies don’t allow portability at all, once it’s married to a VIN it can’t be transferred. So while $50 seems like a lot to fix a mistake, it could be worse. And if they do it for one person for free because they’ve got what they feel is a compelling reason for an exception, then everyone will feel they’re entitled to an exception for free.

OP feels how he feels and if it chaps his hide so badly that he writes off the company for not cutting him a break he’s welcome to do that. Clearly he doesn’t “need” their product so he’s sticking to his gins and kicking them to the curb.

 

[OminousSkitter]

Thanks. Although I’m still not 100% sure that I understand.

I do know that I don’t like the policy myself any more than OP does. But it is their policy for using and porting their product so it’s a take it or leave it situation. It’s not a “gotcha” type deal, you know this going in. Some companies don’t allow portability at all, once it’s married to a VIN it can’t be transferred. So while $50 seems like a lot to fix a mistake, it could be worse. And if they do it for one person for free because they’ve got what they feel is a compelling reason for an exception, then everyone will feel they’re entitled to an exception for free.

OP feels how he feels and if it chaps his hide so badly that he writes off the company for not cutting him a break he’s welcome to do that. Clearly he doesn’t “need” their product so he’s sticking to his gins and kicking them to the curb.

I 100% agree with this. I understand their policy. I don't like it. And it's a take it or leave it situation. We choose to use Tazers despite their policy.

Concerning Intellectual Property vs this policy, no one is making copies of their software, and their software is still only being used on one piece of hardware at a time. For the static changes, it's not like Tazer installs software on the Jeep that must be uninstalled if you switch Jeeps; rather, it alters settings for software that already exists on your Jeep. IP is more about protecting ideas and designs from being copied and used by other people. IP is less about restricting the use of legally-obtained copies -- End User License Agreements cover that.

 

[kre62]

Team Tazer on this one. They 100% did the right thing here.

 

[GtX]

AFAIK, Z-Automotive isn't hiding the policy. If you don't like it, don't buy it. Better yet, develop and sell your own device per your desired use policy and compete against them.

 

[CanAmMick]

What a waste of a thread! Their policy has been in place for sometime now. If you don’t want to pay the price for something you messed up then don’t. Like you said, you can always pay the dealers price to have your Jeep reprogrammed if you ever need it.

 

[cram501]

Agree or disagree with the policy, it was poor customer service. I don't believe the outrage is warranted but it would be something I'd consider prior to buying a product from them.

 

[jeepingib]

That has been their policy from the beginning. In fact it is in line with every other tuners policy as well. Even cheaper than most. It does in fact protect their IP. They would definitely not be able to sell as many units if people were allowed to use them on multiple Jeeps. @kogar You aren’t even trying to view this from the point of view of the company. You were only upset about the inconvenience caused by you. You came across as a whiny b****. You have fun finding another company that allows you to make changes to your ECM, and transfer the device to another Jeep for free.

 

[LLANERO]

What do you honestly expect dude. If you could get free licenses just by making up some sob story about how you sold your jeep and forgot to unmarry (not saying your story is BS, but a lot of people would make up BS stories), then people would buy a tazer, program all their settings, get a fresh license, and then sell the thing or use it on a buddy's jeep. Putting a reasonable price wall in pace should prevent most of that. And $50 is more than reasonable. I would have charged you full price.

I concur...

 

[cram501]

That has been their policy from the beginning. In fact it is in line with every other tuners policy as well. Even cheaper than most. It does in fact protect their IP. They would definitely not be able to sell as many units if people were allowed to use them on multiple Jeeps. @kogar You aren’t even trying to view this from the point of view of the company. You were only upset about the inconvenience caused by you. You came across as a whiny b****. You have fun finding another company that allows you to make changes to your ECM, and transfer the device to another Jeep for free.

This is about maximizing income and does nothing to protect their IP. They are a business after all and it is all about the money.

 

[jeepingib]

This is about maximizing income and does nothing to protect their IP. They are a business after all and it is all about the money.

I agree with you that this is about them protecting their investment. Just like every other tuner out there. The reason why they are VIN locked is so that they can actually turn a profit, instead of one guy in Austin having a tuner, and every member of AJP using his tuner.

 

[Goin2drt]

This is about maximizing income and does nothing to protect their IP. They are a business after all and it is all about the money.

I agree with you that this is about them protecting their investment. Just like every other tuner out there. The reason why they are VIN locked is so that they can actually turn a profit, instead of one guy in Austin having a tuner, and every member of AJP using his tuner.

Like most things these days in the media blown way out to the extreme. The OP or anyone else for that matter doesn’t agree (and didn’t say) they shouldn’t make it vin specific so of course one person can’t buy one and then start mailing it to all his buddies.

This was a one off ask. I guarantee Tazer doesn’t get all that many requests from one person making a mistake like this with all the proof in the world he isn’t BSing. Now all the bashers run the OP off and blow this thing up like the audacity he was asking Tazer to make a product with no vin protection and to ruin their company and IP because they help out one dude in a time of need.

Plain and simple it was bad customer service. If you are a business owner you would know that everything isn’t black and white and occasionally you have to make exceptions to your “policy”.

 

[jeepingib]

Like most things these days in the media blown way out to the extreme. The OP or anyone else for that matter doesn’t agree (and didn’t say) they shouldn’t make it vin specific so of course one person can’t buy one and then start mailing it to all his buddies.

This was a one off ask. I guarantee Tazer doesn’t get all that many requests from one person making a mistake like this with all the proof in the world he isn’t BSing. Now all the bashers run the OP off and blow this thing up like the audacity he was asking Tazer to make a product with no vin protection and to ruin their company and IP because they help out one dude in a time of need.

Plain and simple it was bad customer service. If you are a business owner you would know that everything isn’t black and white and occasionally you have to make exceptions to your “policy”.

Bullshit. It is a marginal fee that you agree that is within their rights to ask when you purchase it. Otherwise you wouldn't purchase it. Everyone has a sob story. But any other business, you wouldn't expect to have this done for free. None of the other tuners do it. He's looking for a Superchips device now. I can tell you from personal experience that they will tell you to pound sand, or pay 100 dollars.

 

[Token]

This whole argument is silly.
What if it was a completely different mod? Let's say a lift kit.
You removed the springs, bump stops, and shocks when getting rid of your Jeep, but you forgot the sway bar end links.
So the lift kit company should supply new end links free of charge? Absurd.

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