Adobe’s CEO — an interesting interview

JB
Posted By
John_Blaustein
Apr 25, 2005
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435
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16
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Closed
There is a very interesting interview with Bruce Chizen, Adobe’s CEO, in today’s San Francisco Chronicle Business Section:

< http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/ar chive/2005/04/24/BUGL7CCSHD1.DTL&type=business>

Among other things, I was fascintated to read: "More than half the people who buy the full version of Photoshop, a $650 product, are not creative professionals. The majority of them are hobbyists. Three million people this year, according to the camera industry, will buy digital SLRs. That’s a $600, $700, $800 camera. That’s the customer who will want to buy Photoshop."

John B.

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johntolliday
Apr 25, 2005
I found this bit particularly interesting!

"Q: Back when Quark Xpress, the page-design software, ruled the roost, it was famous for having stringent controls to make sure people were installing authorized versions of the software. Adobe never went that route. There is an argument that Adobe has benefited because so many people learned Photoshop on pirated copies and went on to use it in their work — all because you didn’t have the strict controls that Quark had.

A: The reason we never had a very aggressive approach was our concern of alienating the honest user. If someone’s spent $600 for Photoshop or InDesign, we don’t want them to have a frustrating experience with Adobe.

In terms of the argument that piracy is good because it gets people to try out the software, that might be the case, but I sure would like to control that."
D
deebs
Apr 25, 2005
There is (was?) an ad towards the foot of the page.

It read something along the lines of buying Adobe software for 10% of the usual price.

Strange ol’ world innit?
S
Sepen
Apr 25, 2005
Hmm… well right now, the Adobe store is offering 15% off to anyone who visited their booth at NAB…

I’d post the discount info on here but I think they might have a problem with that.

In any event, they do offer discounts – I just don’t think they are really advertised even if it isn’t as good as the prices pirates charge for it these days. 😉
DM
Don_McCahill
Apr 25, 2005
Sepen

The discount deebs mentioned is not 10% off, it is 10% of retail price, which must be pirate.

Don McCahill
D
deebs
Apr 25, 2005
Yup Don – spot-on I think and to clarify (I won’t give the URL) but the ad pitch is "buy at 90% off"
I
ID._Awe
Apr 25, 2005
Interesting:

"Retail Price: $1,199.00 CS Premium Suite

Our Price: $199.99 for the entire 5 program suite.

(Please Read)
This is a CD only sale. All CD’s are brand new still in the factory sealed case. This is the full version not a limited or trial version. As bundled software it qualifies for all online updates but does not qualify for technical support registration This is the Windows version only, sorry not for Mac.

NOTE: To prevent unauthorized distribution this product requires Telephone activation within 30 days of installation. You MUST activate the software while at your computer as the activation request number will change.We will provide you with the telephone number to activate the software. Please have your invoice number handy before calling. This activation technology has been developed by Adobe to prevent piracy."

And from their Terms of Sale Agreement: "______ does not condone software piracy and has every intention of complying with the laws pertaining to the duplication of software."

And:"You are not permitted to duplicate or illegally distribute any product purchased from _______. You agree to abide by the End User License Agreement contained within those products. You assume full responsibility for complying with all copyright laws. All products offered by ______ are fully compliant with sec. 117 of the US copyright laws. ______ reserves the right to refuse any customer for any reason. You understand that in order for _____ to make you a copy (OEM) of any software, you acknowledge that you are the legal owner of this same software, and are looking to just make a new copy (OEM) for archival (backup) purposes only."

I like the part about ‘piracy’. Fine print is even funnier. Bet the ad stays there for a long time.
D
deebs
Apr 25, 2005
Yes! That’s the one.

It always appears under banner along with 2 or 3 other ads that somehow seem o give it the edge on costs – "a rose between 2 thorns?"
S
Sepen
Apr 26, 2005
Don,

Thanks but I did pick up on that which is why I mentioned the thing about pirates at the end of my post. Sorry for not being clear about that. 🙂
CC
Chris_Cox
Apr 26, 2005
Just send the details to
KV
Klaas_Visser
Apr 26, 2005
"You understand that in order for _____ to make you a copy (OEM) of any software, you acknowledge that you are the legal owner of this same software, and are looking to just make a new copy (OEM) for archival (backup) purposes only."

This is why they can get away with it – they are "selling" you a backup copy of software you should already own. It puts the onus on you, if the transaction is ever investigated.
I
ID._Awe
Apr 26, 2005
Hey Chris. Why don’t you do it? Maybe they’ll listen to you. Sure haven’t pursued any leads I’ve been giving them for the last ten years.
CC
Chris_Cox
Apr 26, 2005
They have pursued most of the leads given to them.
But some of the pirates are pretty slippery (especially in certain countries with lax law enforcement).
MD
Michael_D_Sullivan
Apr 26, 2005
The 90% off one on the Chizen interview page is in Canada, but ships from the US. And while their terms of service page says it’s "bundled (OEM)" software for archival backup only, the main page claims it’s original sealed disks and refers to the need to activate by calling their own special number, as required by Adobe to prevent piracy. Ha!

The other two ads at the bottom of the page were for FREE! copies of Photoshop 7 and Photoshop CS. Supposedly full retail versions. Of course you have to let them sell your name and details to spammers and agree to "complete" some number of "offers" — which appeared to be mostly credit card offers that would require you to accept and use the credit card. Oh, yes: the "free offer" terms and conditions allow the offeror to terminate you if you don’t complete all the offers within 60 days, if you discontinue the throwaway email address you give them, or if they want to terminate you for any reason at their discretion. And they take no responsibility if your email address is spammed to hell forever even if you opt out. Other than that, no catch. Wanna bet that the copy of PS7 or PSCS is a full, legitimate version? They probably have it drop-shipped from a reseller of the outfit that sells the "bundled (OEM)" backup disks.
GB
George Bushit
Apr 26, 2005
What OEM? These guys are full of crap and obviously don’t have the slightest clue what they are talking about. Adobe doesn’t make OEMs of anything besides Photoshop Elements.
G
Gener
Apr 26, 2005
They do know what they are talking about, George. They count on the naive and dishonest for their income.
MD
Michael_D_Sullivan
Apr 27, 2005
Exactly. The site is totally misleading. Some poor kid who wants to use a legitimate copy but can’t afford $650 gets ripped off because he doesn’t read the fine print on the linked page, which says something completely different from what the main page says — both of which are totally false.

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