From: Rick Moen (rick at domain linuxmafia.com)
Date: Sun 16 Jun 2002 - 01:47:16 IST
Niall, thanks for your comments.
Quoting Niall O Broin (niall at domain linux.ie):
> Actually, nowhere in that document does SuSE forbid redistribution of
> the CD content, curiously.
As you point out further on, redistribution is reserved to copyright
holders by default action of copyright law. The reason we have explicit
software licences (BSD licence, GPL, etc.) is for copyright holders to
grant rights _differing_ from those conveyed by default.
(If anyone doesn't believe this, start duplicating Oracle 9i discs and
start giving them away on the theory of their being no specific
prohibition. And be sure to drop a line to Oracle Legal.)
Since you mention it, notice this passage in the "document" in question:
"With our SuSE Linux FTP version (SuSE Linux Professional, excluding
commercial program packages, which we are not allowed to offer on their
own for download), we provide a free service for all those who wish to
install SuSE Linux via FTP."
Unless someone wants to maintain that SuSE Linux AG may not offer that
software for download, but recipients of the boxed sets _may_ duplicate
the discs and hand them out, the boxed sets' CD contents' "redistribution"
would seem explicitly forbidden.
> However, in ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/README.mirror-policy SuSE clearly says:
>
> - SuSE Linux (YaST in particular) may not be reproduced on
> CDs or other media FOR VALUE. Reproduction for personal
> or educational use is explicitly allowed and encouraged.
>
> They are talking here about the FTP version which they make available, and
> mirrors thereof. This version has the proprietary components removed.
This is what restrains one's redistribution rights to the full ftp
versions (which omit the boxed sets' non-redistributable packages), the
Live-Evaluation ISO, and the Evaluation ISO.
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