[Gllug] GPL & Licence Fees

[Alain Williams]

On Sat, Nov 10, 2007 at 10:50:48PM +0000, Ken Smith wrote:
> Any GPL experts who might have a view on this....
> 
> I came across a linux based firewall at a client that appeared to be a
> cut down Debian like configuration. The client is being charged an 
> annual licence fee for this firewall. Is this legit?
> 
> I would understand a one off fee for setting it up but an annual licence 
>  feel seems rather heavy.

''The firewall'' is a nebulous term. To you/me it means iptables within
the Linux kernel; to a marketing man it could mean the whole box/set-up/thingy/...
If, for instance, they have written a proprietary management tool that allows
you to control: port blocking/forwaring, ... all of which ends up calling iptables
then it is legitimate/legal to ask for a license fee for the tool.

They could be charging for a patch downloading service.

They can't demand an annual fee for the kernel part of it.

It isn't necessarily illegal, but you need to find out exactly what the client is
being charged for.

-- 
Alain Williams
Linux Consultant - Mail systems, Web sites, Networking, Programmer, IT Lecturer.
+44 (0) 787 668 0256  http://www.phcomp.co.uk/
Parliament Hill Computers Ltd. Registration Information: http://www.phcomp.co.uk/contact.php
Chairman of UKUUG: http://www.ukuug.org/
#include <std_disclaimer.h>
-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at gllug.org.uk
http://lists.gllug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/gllug