On Wed, Dec 18, 2002 at 01:21:52PM +0800, Leon Brooks wrote: > To hear the press squeak, you would think that MNF was made entirely of OSS > that had been closed (not legally possible for 75% of what's on there, and > Gael knows that). > > AFACIT... > > * if you want to use the `$0' version, unsupported, go for it > > * if you want support, you pay per server, which is fair > > * it is not clear what parts of the `$0' version are covered by the > commercial clauses; since all of the pieces except for a little > blue Mandrake glue are available elsewhere, and usually under the > GPL, it seems 100% legal to use all but the restricted `blue glue' > software under the previous conditions of use. > > Who do I contact to get a clarifying press release out of Mandrake?
There is no restricted blue glue... Everything is licensed under the GPL. If you buy the commercial license the "blue glue" is licensed under the commercial license. At any rate Leon you are not alone in these thoughts. I certainly had some questions that came to my mind when I started reading about MNF. The questions I have are: a) Where the heck is the exact copy of the commercial license text? You provide us this page: http://www.mandrakesoft.com/products/mnf/license But why is it that I have to buy the product to read your license? Obviously the page doesn't completely detail our rights and obligations under this other license or you wouldn't direct us to read it on the page. b) Why is Mandrake making it seem as though only paying customers will have access to security updates? (6 months of free security updates : http://www.mandrakesoft.com/products/mnf/pricing ) Is Mandrake now engaging in pay for security updates? Or is this wording a mistake? As things stand now it sure looks like the "security blackmail" that vdanen was complaining about ISC doing recently: http://www.freezer-burn.org/article.php?story=20021114100304648 c) Your statement that buying the commercial version would free you from GPL restrictions seems to be very misleading. It can only release you from such restrictions for software that you wrote. But as Leon has correctly pointed out the vast majority of that software isn't written by you. (See the statement in the paragraph that follows "Finally, what is the recommendation?" section on this page: http://www.mandrakesoft.com/products/mnf/license) I'm sure you understand that, but the wording on your site sure doesn't convey that very well. I think you're doing the community a disservice by not making it really clear. d) Why aren't you just selling just support for the product? You say that I'd get additional rights to modify the product. But what if I have no intention of wanting those rights? $1,990 is a rather steep price to pay for simply 30 days installation support and "6 months free security updates," which at least at this point in time so far are free anyway. e) On the license page which I've already provided the URL to several times above... you say that if I decide to as a VAR sell MNF to my clients that I must conform "to all of MandrakeSoft's intellectual rights and trademark protections listed in the product (this includes removing MandrakeSoft logos & trademarks from the product)." This seems to be a catch 22. The GPL requires you to display an appropriate copyright, while it is not clear in this, I would take that to mean that I must display a Mandrake copyright notice on the software Mandrake wrote. Additionally it requires that if it is an interactive program that I display an appropriate copyright notice if the program displays that. Since Mandrakesoft would obviously lay trademark rights to it's own name, how can I possibly comply? Further does this mean that Mandrake is going to start enforcing their trademark rights on the main distro? E.G. if I sell a computer to someone and install Mandrake Linux along with some modified packages (e.g. packages modified to say have necessary drivers) must I not call it Mandrake Linux and remove your trademarks from it (note this is hypothetical)? I really think Mandrake has some clarification to do here. Certainly they should make their website for MNF much more clear about the licensing restrictions. Before you respond. Remember you are not just responding to a contributor, but also a customer and shareholder in your company. -- Ben Reser <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://ben.reser.org "If you're not making any mistakes, you're flat out not trying hard enough." - Jim Nichols
