Re: Email servers

Hello,


[ Cc'ing clipped - we are all on the list anyway, no? ]

On Fri, 09.01.2004 at 14:57:36 +0000, Andy Jackman <[email protected]> wrote:
> But you can install and modify qmail on a SERVER and then you can sell
> the server because djb cannot dictate what you do with your property. If

taken to the extreme, what would you think if someone downloads your
favourite GPL'ed program, builds an appliance around it, and sells that
without giving you the source (on request)? After all, you are selling
a piece of hardware that happens to have some software installed.

Or what about other licensing terms on software where you are licensing
on a "named user" basis?

> he had a clause that stated that his licence must be imposed on the
> buyer then it would be, but that would not affect your ability to sell

I am not convinced that selling a piece of software frees you from
making sure that the license is enforced on the client side. Guess
what, I buy a windows PC, sell that to a friend who can then put up
windows for download because "I don't need to enforce the license on
him"?

I'd really recommend that you see a lawyer... no, I don't intend to
sue you.

> your property, and if the software was legally installed on your
> property then it would be legally installed when you sell it to the
> buyer.

Well, I'm unsure if this is correct. Of course, the software may be
legally installed on your computer, but at the same time, you are
distributing a modified version of it. This is a question of which of
the affected laws has priority over the other(s), which I can't answer
for you.

I would also like to see a clarifying statement, preferably, of course,
some kind of licensing that would remove the necessity of such
discussions, but I doubt that we are going to see this happen :-(

The upside of this is that apparently there are only legal issues to be
discussed on this list, and there are very few technical questions one
might need to solve. A good sign for a software package now some 5+
years old... (Ok, we have errno.h and a few other glitches, but
nothing serious).

  :-)


Best,
--Toni++