[Gllug] Some Advice on SUS licencing.

[Dylan]

On Saturday 07 February 2004 21:20 pm, Alistair Mann wrote:
<SNIP>
>
> I believe you are wrong.
>
> The GPL v2 provision 1 clearly allows anyone to make a copy of
> software covered by the GPL and specifically /allows/ you to charge
> whatever you like either for supplying a warranty or for "the
> physical act of transferring".
>
> David was right: he can copy his friend's CD, support free, without
> paying Suse a penny.

BUT SuSE includes, for example, Java on the cd's which is not GPL - the 
licence requires that it be obtained from Sun if you are not a licensed 
distributor. Also, SuSE's installation and configuration utility (YaST) 
is not GPL either.

> Similarly, David's friend can charge him 
> whatever he fancies for handing him that CD, a charge which will no
> doubt include his costs in labour, media, whatever.

The consensus from the SuSE lists is that if the commercial apps (Java 
etc...) are removed then the distro is freely redistributable, but the 
YaST licence prevents a person from making a profit from resale unless 
they are a SuSE affiliate.

Dylan

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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little 
temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." 
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