The worst is when it's clear that bargaining has happened: limited use site licenses. There is a hypothetical microscope that costs over 250k and has a service contract. All output files are in proprietary format that can only be analyzed and exported using the proprietary software, and the license is such that only 10 people can use the software at once.

The bean counters in the university aren't going to cough up whatever Zeiss wants for an unlimited use license, and Zeiss isn't going to expand the license without trying to squeeze even more cash from the university. In either case, demand for the microscope would be exactly the same, only now researchers are setting alarms for 3am just to export a damn file.