License sharing instead of group buying?
Thread poster: Andreas Berger
Andreas Berger
Andreas Berger  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 16:37
English to German
Jul 2, 2017

Dear Proz users,

many of you will have heard about the 'TGB' group buying campaigns by Proz. However, some may feel that the prices even in TGB are still quite high -- given that a group license incurs no more cost for the producer than a single license sold, but a multiple of the profit (plus maintaining their 'monopolist' market share if we think of SDL)!

How would you think of another way for translators to buy and share software licenses as a group? What if just one
... See more
Dear Proz users,

many of you will have heard about the 'TGB' group buying campaigns by Proz. However, some may feel that the prices even in TGB are still quite high -- given that a group license incurs no more cost for the producer than a single license sold, but a multiple of the profit (plus maintaining their 'monopolist' market share if we think of SDL)!

How would you think of another way for translators to buy and share software licenses as a group? What if just one party -- a translator, agency, or group of buyers under a common 'identity' -- acted as a common buyer to share the regular cost and product with a given number of colleagues? For example, buying partners could join in a common network or 'agency' (e.g. through Proz if they support the scheme) to which any interested partner can register to then buy & share the software & license they want.
As a result, say a number of 25 licenses will cost 4% of the regular price each (a 1,000 USD purchase cost each participant only 40.- USD)!

Wouldn't that be a great bargain? Has anybody ever considered this option?

Thank you & kind regards,

A. Berger (Germany)
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DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
Makes sense, but not profits Jul 3, 2017

Andreas, lending/leasing makes sense for translators (users), yet as far as vendors are still not interested, it's not about big incomes and of priority, not to mention free [and on-line] options. Besides representatives' fuss, it does pose risks for a force-majeure (act of God/Vendor/User/Client/Rivals), contingencies, and corollary limitations for a license suspending/revoking.
How about subscription-based CATs?

Once a group of my colleagues had a "lottery"--everybody invest
... See more
Andreas, lending/leasing makes sense for translators (users), yet as far as vendors are still not interested, it's not about big incomes and of priority, not to mention free [and on-line] options. Besides representatives' fuss, it does pose risks for a force-majeure (act of God/Vendor/User/Client/Rivals), contingencies, and corollary limitations for a license suspending/revoking.
How about subscription-based CATs?

Once a group of my colleagues had a "lottery"--everybody invested some $25 and a random winner got license costs/participants×$25, and they repeated this several times... Nope, I prefer WF, however I can do with Studio, MemoQ, DejaVu, or even Across)

[Edited at 2017-07-03 14:30 GMT]
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Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 16:37
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
I don't think they'd like it Jul 3, 2017

Andreas Berger wrote:
A group license incurs no more cost for the producer than a single license sold, but a multiple of the profit...


A group offer means that translators who might have been willing to pay the full price now pay only the special offer's price. Sure, there are translators who would not have bought the product if the price had been higher, but I suspect that most people who buy tools via TGB have already decided that they want to buy that product. The special price is an inducement for them to act, but few translators who have not actually considered buying the tool will buy it simply because it is on special, unless the special price is really, really, really special.

So in one sense, a group offer does cost the producer more -- it costs more than all of the licenses would have cost separately.

How would you think of another way for translators to buy and share software licenses as a group? What if just one party ... under a common 'identity' ... acted as a common buyer to share the regular cost and product with a given number of colleagues?


Typically, software that is licensed is licensed on a per-user basis, not a per-company basis. This means that if multiple users at a single company use the single user's license, they are in breach of the license agreement.

But let's suppose for argument's sake that you live in a country where this sort of agreement is not enforceable, and that it would be legal for you to do this sharing thing. I wonder how many tools will allow you to do that. My guess is that you'd have to install the tool on a virtual machine and then distribute the virtual machine to all participants. And there will be other limitations, e.g. if your tool is Trados, then you'd have to choose participants who all use the same 5 installed languages. It may be simpler to just use cracked software.


 


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License sharing instead of group buying?







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