ToneBoosters: New License Transfer Policy

[Skorpius]

I would have preferred to put this thread into the Market Place, but I already have a current sales ad there, so...

After I had sold a TB plug-in recently, Jeroen informed me that TB have introduced (or are about to do so) "a formal procedure for license transfers via our website".

http://www.toneboosters.com/license-transfer-policy

While quite a few small developers charge license transfer fees, the implications in the case of TB are rather severe: Asking for a transfer fee of 10 EUR when the plug-ins cost 20 EUR even goes beyond the transfer charges of FXpansion. This is as if, for example, Presonus would charge 200 $ for transferring Studio One V3.

To make this clear once again: In the future, TB will charge 50 % of the purchase price for a license transfer.

IMHO, the intention behind this step is pretty clear: Jeroen wants to discourage any TB plug-in owners from selling their TB products, or rather, wants to abolish any license transfers completely. In the past, software sellers would simply send their license files to the new user and, if at all, inform Jeroen about that. This must have happend a few times too many for Jeroen to introduce such a policy. Those "happy days" are over now...

Anyway, the question to me is whether such a policy should be supported. Once you have bought a TB plug-in for 20 EUR, you will either have to keep it for the rest of your life, even if you no longer need it, or give it away for next to nothing in case of a sale, knowing that you'll have to pay 10 EUR for the transfer.

I think in the future I'll rather buy more expensive software products where I know that - in a later sale - I will at least get back an acceptable percentage of the original purchase price.

[Burillo]

i love TB plugins and i empathise with the hardships of being a small developer, but this is insane. i can understand charging a few bucks for the hassle, but half the price of the plugin?

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

it seems that the developer is taking 50% of the full value, but in reality he is taking a much larger percentage from the real-world, second-hand value

while i understand why a developer would seek some compensation for a loss of sale, and the work involved in setting up a new user, but with this figure it would be better to just forbid license transfers altogether (though the developer would miss out on sales from loss-leaders)

[murnau]

Hope Jereon not think about a price increase for his plugins now so that people believe the transfer license fee is appropriate..

Seriously, how that concern old customers which bought the plugins before this policy change?

[Skorpius]

Seriously, how that concern old customers which bought the plugins before this policy change?

Not at all, as long as you don't intend to sell the plug-ins.

[ere2learn]

I think its a fair policy,€20 for those plugins is a steal,if you use the plugin for a year its cost you .05 cent a day,then you want to sell it to recoup something,

You'd be lucky to go to cinema or get 4 beers for €20,whether you use them for work or entertainment €20 is nothing for those plugins

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

You'd be lucky to go to cinema or get 4 beers for €20,whether you use them for work or entertainment €20 is nothing for those plugins

though true, that's not really relevant to the thread. no one is disputing the great value of these plugins, only that the amount relative to price is prohibitive as to make the whole thing pointless

[murnau]

Seriously, how that concern old customers which bought the plugins before this policy change?

Not at all, as long as you don't intend to sell the plug-ins.

Ha! Good one! ..but again seriously: Bought it under another policy, so is it legetimate to change the policy? Yes it is.

Does this automatically affect people who bought it under the old policy? I don't know but i doubt it a little..

[ere2learn]

Well you can sell for €15,so you can recoup €5 and that will bring your cost inline with what the new buyer is paying,so it becomes NFR after that basically.

[jdnz]

wouldn't be so bad if he hadn't also dropped the bustools bundle as well, euro10 to transfer the whole bundle is pretty fair, not so hot when its for each plugin (plus of course the bundle got you a decent discount over buying separates)

[ere2learn]

Are the plugins even €20,there's vat included in that price aswell.

Just checked there €16.22 without vat.

[BDeep]

I agree that the transfer fee is very steep relative to the prices to buy the plugins, and it seems to be a clever way to slow down/halt second hand sales and at the same time dodge the discussion whether someone is allowed to sell their software.. That said, personally, I don't find it unjust that there are certain restrictions associated with plugins that sell well below average prices. It wouldn't stop me from buying Toneboosters anyway.
I can see however that it's a bit of a blow for any current owners that were planning to sell them off.

Also keep in mind that the loss in a second hand sale of a higher priced plugin is typically bigger than the price of a Toneboosters plugin.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Well you can sell for €15,so you can recoup €5 and that will bring your cost inline with what the new buyer is paying,so it becomes NFR after that basically.

recouping 75% of the value is not my experience of the marketplace; 40-60% is much more likely

[ere2learn]

Agree to disagree,I think its a fair policy considering everything,price,value,quality and the vat.

[JJ_Jettflow]

Good to know, thanks. I was going to pick up Reelbuss and maybe Barricade this week but not now.