[conspire] SuSE Personal/Prof, apt4rpm, Newbie Ed. -was- Distros for novices

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Christian Einfeldt (einfeldt at earthlink.net):

> Your point here is well taken from a legal perspective.  However, in 
> the course of filming for the Digital Tipping Point documentary, we 
> have interviewed Nat Friedman, Miguel de Icaza, and Jack Messman, 
> and I have informed them all that I copy SuSE 9.1 CDs and give them 
> to friends, and they thanked me.

That's fine, but that violates the property rights of several of SUSE
Linux AG's (Novell's) business-partner software suppliers.

> But I think that a freebie to entice a newbie would be welcomed by
> Novell.

Those other firm's licensing decisions concerning their property
interests aren't up to Novell.

> If you have any doubt about your activities, I would simply contact 
> SuSE and let them know what you are doing.

1.  Again, it's not up to Novell/SUSE.

2.  However, the matter _has_ come up on LUG lists, and I found myself 
(in May 2003) conversing with Rick Holzer of SUSE's Oakland sales
office.  He had been saying -- and one has frequently heard this from
SUSE employees -- that SUSE has no problem with people installing the
retail boxed-set editions in multiple places for multiple people, as
long as it's non-commercial.

I said "I'm sure you honestly _do_ think this is a simple matter of
SuSE itself granting permission, and your saying that does both you and
your company credit", but pointed out that doing this violates
the aforementioned third-party rights.  He said
(http://www.linux.ie/pipermail/ilug/2003-May/003062.html):  "It appears
that I may have mis-spoken", and hoped to get an official statement from
the head of SUSE, Inc.  -- which never arrived.

> They will give you permission...

Again, they can't.