If all your article is simply saying 'make sure if you go with Crestron or AMX that part of your installation includes getting a copy of the program at the end', I have no issues with that sentiment. However, if you plan on making an entire article out of this, I can't really see how you'd be able to fill a page except to convey the horror stories of not getting the code and hence shedding a negative light on the founders of this industry, which IMO is a major conflict of interest if you are the editor of both the consumer mag and the trade mag. For example, I seem to remember an artical in the past you did on the Control4/Sony factory built whole house rack that if IIRC you were very much FOR the idea of the CI fading out of the picture (not those words exactly and I also can't seem to find the article). Now you're about to do an article that furthers that position. This shows favoritism to certain manufactures you highlight on the the trade side, while also promoting them also on the consumer side. One has to naturally wonder if you are getting something on the side to do so. Sorry if I got the article reference wrong.

Added: Or is this just a matter of who has the most advertising dollars? If thats the case, every page in both mags should have a foot note that says 'paid advertisement'.