Some CAD vendors claim to be your partners. As I sat through Autodesk University keynotes and watched the disclaimer notice displayed by the 30-foot screen, it struck me that no CAD vendor is your partner.
(Having the don't-count-on-us-for-anything disclaimer sung by an Elvis impersonator made the meaning of the words more clear: whatever relationship you perceive is only an impersonation.)
A partnership is about sharing the risk, whether in marriage or in business; CAD vendors, however, are interested only in getting their share of your profits. They use extensive legal language to immunize themselves against the downside of partnerships: sharing in your losses.
Ergo: the CAD vendor is not your partner.
(Having the don't-count-on-us-for-anything disclaimer sung by an Elvis impersonator made the meaning of the words more clear: whatever relationship you perceive is only an impersonation.)
A partnership is about sharing the risk, whether in marriage or in business; CAD vendors, however, are interested only in getting their share of your profits. They use extensive legal language to immunize themselves against the downside of partnerships: sharing in your losses.
Ergo: the CAD vendor is not your partner.
would you be willing to risk your company with everyone trying to make a buck by creating law suites instead of hard work.
Posted by: Mike Norgrave | Dec 15, 2009 at 10:13 AM
Raplh, a reality many of us know but few will acknowledge.
Posted by: R. Paul Waddington | Dec 15, 2009 at 12:05 PM
True. Imagine if your car title read: "if your car falls apart suddenly as you drive on the highway, the manufacturer will not be held responsible" ! Now those you-are-on-your-own disclaimers are not specific to CAD/PLM license agreements; they are true for all software companies.
And at least, we - CAD and PLM guys - write about it and poke fun at ourselves. BTW,check this jayleno video where Dassault is light hearted enough to poke fun at PLM (but makes its point in the process)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bMVzTDP8c0
Posted by: J. Botimer | Dec 16, 2009 at 04:57 PM