[paulcole]

Between the situation I described and the one you described, one is a crime and one is not. I wonder if one is a bigger deal than the other!

[rpdillon]

You asked why someone wouldn't want automatic updates. I think my answer is clear.

Now you're talking about crime. I have little respect for judging morals through legality -- laws are political and fickle. Morality is more enduring.

In this case, the morals are that buying something is about control, including choosing when and how to use it, as well as when and how it is modified. You wouldn't want your dishwasher suddenly losing capability because the manufacturer decided to remove a feature.

I'm very confused about why you wanted to bring legal issues into this.