Selling Google CR-48 Notebooks On Ebay Is ‘Illegal’
Over the last few days a few daring individuals have began to sell their CR-48 Chrome Notebooks on Ebay! It is understandable why this is quite a lucrative black market. After-all, Google is giving them out for free just in the USA to a select 60,000 users. In essence, they have created immense value for a product that they initially issued for Beta testing purposes only.
A quick scan through our Chrome OS forums reveals that people from outside the USA are frustrated and are willing to do anything to get a hold of the device. So far we’ve seen people from as far as the UK, Scotland and even places like Israel touting for the device. Here is an interesting email that we received from a user (who thought that ‘Chrome OS Site’ was Google owned):
Hey!
my name is Eitan and im from Israel I’v'e filled the form for being one of your Chrome OS testers but my friend just told me today it’s available only within the USis that true?
if it’s true, it’s SUCKS!
Buying and Selling CR-48′s is a crime?
It seems like one Ebayer has decided to take on the world by launching a ‘vigilante style mission’ to educate Ebayers that whenever they purchase or sell one of these devices, they are committing a crime. Here’s a screenshot of his auction: (visit the auction here)
The auction unequivocally warns people from what it dubs, the purchasing of “stolen property”:
***STOLEN PROPERTY ALERT***
If you buy one of the Cr-48 Notebooks that pops up on eBay, you are in fact purchasing stolen property. Google had these laptops manufactured specifically to test out their new operating system, and shipped them to people who agreed to test them over the coming months. Anyone who is selling one this soon has in effect stolen said laptop from Google.
I do not have a Cr-48 for sale. If you bid on this auction, you are bidding on nothing. Do not bid unless you want to give me money for no reason.
Are you also desperate for one of these notebooks?
If you are also frustrated about being excluded from the Beta simply because you are not in the USA; or maybe Google just hasn’t taken time to consider your application. Take time to vent your anger, let us know if you would buy a CR-48 in the emerging black market:
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12 Responses to Selling Google CR-48 Notebooks On Ebay Is ‘Illegal’
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I think this is a spam item on ebay. Notice the seller doesnt link or reference any fact that Google deems it illegal to sell them. Great blog by the way! Love it so far!
"So far we’ve seen people from as far as the UK, Scotland and even places like Israel"
The UK and Scotland, pretty much the same place, no?
It's like saying "So far we’ve seen people from as far as the USA, North Carolina and even places like Israel"
nah bro.. it's more like saying "…as far as the USA, Puerto Rico and even places like Israel"
USA is a country. The U.K. is a combination of countries. Since you were trying to be all technical and ish.. lol
nope. it's more like what he said since Scotland is a part of the UK as NC is part of the USA.
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I think James was spot on. Scotand is in the UK just as North Carolina is in the USA. Good example.
I live in the UK and would love one of these. Looking forward to them being available over here.
A little rtaoinialty lifts the quality of the debate here. Thanks for contributing!
its not stolen property. google gave them the notebooks… they people who buy them can test them.
boycottttttttttttttttt this film !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!sikhki is the truth- truth is the most pfruwoel souce in this world – truth always shines n comes out-people can knock sikhs dwn – cultures – religious bigots tried b4 – as sikhs suffered n still survived as they always had truth with them – truth = satnaam = waheguru. Freedoms were tken frm sikhs as we were force 2 flee to jungles without food n shelter – but the singhs n sighniyeh were strong as they had truth with them thats why we were not wipeout!!! we going strong now n always will – nations n people will try to knock us dwn but will never happen!!!!!!
I guess google is so careless as to give away a laptop to a beta tester for free, and have no way of tracking whether they’re using said laptop. Since the lappy is nothing but a web browser os, it could be designed to phone home. If the person the lappy was sent to sells it, then the new person using it could perhaps set off red flags to googles system letting them know the original beta tester is an unreliable dolt that just sold the property. But I doubt google would go that far. It’s just a shame that google handed these things out without making folks sign a legal contract stating they’d get sued if they sold it before a certain period of time (IE: after beta is done and the actual product comes out). Personally, for what you get, the tangible value of the thing is pretty worthless. But from the historical value, it’s a limited edition item that milestones a companies expansion. I could see collectors wanting it. But $500? That’s a lot of fluff money for not much.