There is nothing in consumer law that prevents a UK visitor to the USA purchasing software and bringing it back. Similarly there is nothing to prevent a UK consumer purchasing software via a friend who lives in the USA. The only caveat to these methods is that the recipient in the UK may be charged import duty (17.5%) when the software enters the country (this has happened to me before). However, even with a 17.5% surcharge, and that assumes that UK Customs and Excise decide to inspect your suitcase/parcel, the price of Poser 5 still works out considerably cheaper. What would be illegal is if a citizen of the USA set up a business reselling software bought in America onto members of the European Union without a valid export licence. This is a similar situation to the purchase of region 1 DVD films by UK tourists for viewing on multiregion DVD players back at home.