Open Letter to KTM Australia
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*2014-08-28*

Re: Service Manual 3206193

Hello,
I am a happy owner of a 2014 KTM 690 Enduro R
motorcycle. I am so happy in fact, that I purchased the service manual for this
motorcycle (part number 3206193), which arrived as a DVD. Great! I prefer
electronic format because I can search it, I can back it up, I can carry it with
me on my electronic device. It is so much better than a paper format.

However, upon arrival of the DVD, I noticed that it is Microsoft Windows .exe
format. Now, I have not used Microsoft Windows (or Apple OSX) for several years,
so I am well-accustomed to working around this ubiquitous silliness. I mean,
it is entirely inappropriate to issue motorcycle service manuals as windows
executable files, but it is also inappropriate to do many other things that
lay-people do with documents.

So I figured I could just spend a little bit of effort to work around the issue.

To do this, I use virtualisation software to emulate Microsoft Windows. This is
because installing Microsoft Windows on hardware proper is both impractical and
unethical. I know, I know, millions of people do it around the world. This does
not alter the matter of fact that I cannot do it due to the unacceptable
practical expenses involved.

I have imaged the DVD into a `.iso` file, like any responsible person would do
(one who has an ounce of respect for their data), then inserted that image into
the virtualised CD disk drive which is then virtualising the Microsoft Windows 7
operating system.

I then attempted to load one of the Microsoft Windows executable files on the
running windows operating system. This is when I was greeted with the following
message:

> The media could not be verified to be a valid original.

As a result, I am now, at this very moment, filled with rage. This is because I
am being forced by KTM to incur an extraordinary expense to read my purchased
manual. Not only this, I must also forgo all the conveniences mentioned earlier.
This expense and inconvenience is no doubt imposed on me because of "copy
protection."

It must be known that I find this practice highly offensive. The idea that I
have paid money for what is a completely useless DVD is outrageous *regardless
of any justification you might dream up*. By doing this, you have assumed that
the vendor/consumer relationship is a cynical one. Well, that's fine, you don't
have to trust me or like me, but you do have to give me what I paid for. This
service manual is unusable for the purpose that it was intended and so is in
violation of **Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 of the Competition and
Consumer Act 2010 [formerly Trade Practices Act 1974])**.

If you are unclear what it means for a responsible person to be issued a service
manual, then I will helpfully clarify. As a first step in learning this, I can
assure you that a Microsoft Windows .exe format does not meet the necessary
criteria.

It is entirely inappropriate and impractical to be distributing a service manual
in this way. Please give me what I paid for.