RE: Tierred pricing (was Tiger tools...)

[David.X.Kahn@xxxxxxx]

Carl wrote:

> Your model is the basis of socialism.

Carl, slow down. It's not my model; it's that used by the major drug
companies. Let me quote the CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, Jean-Pierre Garnier,
from an interview with CNN:

"In the least developed nations we make no profits with the AIDS drugs. But
somebody has to pay for R&D and that's why we charge higher prices in
Europe and the U.S. In a sense we are asking the rich countries to pay for
R&D and we are providing drugs basically at the lowest possible cost to the
least developed nations."

If you re-read my posting I think you will find it was politically neutral.
I merely said there were 2 choices: a flat price where not everyone would
get the drugs they needed or a tiered one in which some consumers bore a
larger burden of the R&D costs. I made no value judgement about either
choice, although you made it clear which you prefer.

I must say I've always found tiered pricing for software distasteful
myself. I thought I understood the economic case for it but I must admit
I'd never realised that IBM's pricing policy was motivated by socialism.

Dave...

"Seriousness is the only refuge of the shallow." - Oscar Wilde

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