On Tue, 25 Oct 2005, Lie Njie wrote: > My question: I'm curious if anyone on this list has any contacts or > experience with commercial vendors of Microsoft Windows-based software > that are willing or interested in donating licenses to institutions in > developing nations such as the UTG ...
You need to take great care in this strategy. Many countries in the world are under various levels of UN Sanctions, either because they are war-zones or (less obviously) they inter-trade with others who are under sanctions. Western copies of Windows contain encryption code in both the SSL modules and the backup facilities, for example. These are classified as "dual-use components" and anyone wishing to send these to a restricted country should either check that mass-market approval has been approved, or else apply for the relevant authority, including substantiating why this code is necessary. [i.e., note that such code can be used for purposes other than its original intention, and particularly by people who pose a threat to peace and stability.] Similar dual-use components are present in other applications software intended for use within "The West". You might argue that this is pedantic, and that most of the pirated copies of sofware with the Developing World are ripped off from Western copies in the first place.... and thus the dual-use components are already freely available. However, I think this is different from suggesting a strategy that sends licensed components to countries. This is clearly a fresh export. For Microsoft's own products the EULA (End User Licence Agreement) binds the user to comply with the relevant laws. And in any case there is clear guidance obtainable from their website page <www.microsoft.com/exporting/> Note that these guidelines assume that the export is from the USA. There are different restrictions which can apply from other countries of origin. I've deliberately cited Microsoft Windows because the case is clear, and the approval is already achieved for the USA. However, anyone considering donating any software licenses to another country should make these checks first within the laws of their own country. Some of the most problematic "dual-use" code is actually contained within relatively trivial utilities... often with no licence fee to pay. In short... only export code that you are *certain* has the appropriate authority, and where you can prove that you have such a licence. This is not just for your own protection from prosecution. In some countries owning such software may be perceived as a threat against the State. I don't think any of us on GKD would want to land the beneficiaries of our donations in that predicament! HTH -- Paul --------------------------------------------------------------------- __/_ Paul Richardson | / ExpLAN Computers Ltd. +44 (0)1822 613868 |-- Computer and Software Development |/___ PO Box 32, Tavistock, Devon PL19 8YU Gt.Britain / [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------ ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, a Non-Profit Organization*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/>
