[ILUG] SuSE redistribution

[Rory Browne]

> So, if you as a purchaser of a SUSE Linux Professional Edition boxed set
> don't accept, e.g., the licence to MoneyPlex (and/or the other three),
> where specifically would you be gaining the right to redistribute it?

What you have to examine here, is what exactly you are redistributing.
If you are redistributing the Program on its own, for the explicit
purpose of installing that Program, then that probably would be
illegal. If however what you want to redistribute is an entire, then I
think the onus is on the copyright holder for the CD(which in this
case would be Novell) layout to decide whether or not you can
redistribute the medium as a whole.

If you actually install the propriatory software, it is of course a
different issue, but as part of the installation process for
propriatory software, you are required to expicitly accept a license.
Therefore provided you don't circumvent the requirement for the
installer to explicitly accept an EULA, which I would assume asserts
that you cannot use the software without paying a license fee, then I
can't see a problem.


> 
> I'm reminded of SCO Group's one-time tactic of trying to convince the
> courts that GPLv2 is unlawful and unenforceable.  Then, some slightly
> brighter person pointed out to them that, if the GPL licensing grant on
> software they're shipping were nullified, they'd have _less_ legal right
> to the software, not more -- and they'd lose the right to redistribute.
> They dropped that effort in a hurry.

That is a completely different case. SCO were accusing IBM of
revealing Trade Secrets, and all that. There is a clause in the GPL
that it is the only thing that gives  you the right to
use/redistribute the software, so all the 'brigher person' had to do
was read the GPL.

Also in that case the code was actually (allegedly)used. If the
program is only a few files on disk, that are normally never accesses,
and never used, then I can't see the problem.


Now, can anyone burn me a copy of SuSE 9.3?



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