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Giant loophole in Cisco's software transfer and re-licensing policy

Cisco appears to favor its European customers over its global customers.

Hummelstown, PA:   Thu, 10/24/13 - 1:22pm    View comments
 

Cisco customers worldwide should be up in arms over the giant loophole quietly added to Cisco's software transfer and re-licensing policy for the sole and express benefit of Cisco customers located in Europe.

Cisco appears to favor its European customers over its global customers:

"In situations where an end user located in Europe transfers ownership of Hardware that has been used in Europe for at least 12 months to another end user located in Europe solely for the transferee's internal business purposes, the transferee will not be required to pay a new License Fee for the use of the Operating System Software installed on the Hardware, provided that the transferor provides proof to Cisco's reasonable satisfaction that it, or any prior licensee, has paid in full for the Operating System Software and pays the corresponding Service inspection fee in accordance with Cisco policies, confirming that the transferred Hardware was originally acquired within Europe and has not been modified. This exception applies to the limited circumstances set forth herein and does not apply to any other Software."

Cisco has added further clarification of the loophole:

According to an unmarked document (no Cisco logo or copyright page 3) found on Cisco's website:

"So, for example, an EEA-based (including Switzerland) customer can lawfully buy a Cisco product from another Cisco customer if the latter has purchased this product from a Cisco Partner based in the EEA (or Switzerland). This is also the case if the customer buys a Cisco product from a third party, so long as that product was originally sold to a customer by Cisco or a Cisco Partner within the EEA or Switzerland."

Here's my question, why can't Cisco's global customers benefit from the same giant loophole that's been quietly granted to Cisco's European customers?

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