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

[Christian Einfeldt]

On Thursday 09 September 2004 11:30, Rick Moen wrote:
> 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.

Ooops.  Good point.  Nuts.  :-/

>
> > 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.

Yeah, good point.

>
> > 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.

Yeah, nuts, that's right.  

When I interviewed Richard Stallman on Saturday for the Digital 
Tipping Point film, he said that Argentina has come out with a 
totally "free software" package called etutu-e or something like 
that.  

Also, what about Knoppix?  Or Xandros?  Do those distros also have 
the same problem?  

>
>
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