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[Gnu-arch-users] re: licensing question
From: |
Thomas Lord |
Subject: |
[Gnu-arch-users] re: licensing question |
Date: |
Mon, 20 Mar 2006 10:16:48 -0800 |
Peter:
> What you *could* do, however, is to create a per-CPU support contract
> *without* delivering the software. Or make two contracts of it: one
> for delivering the software under GPL terms, and a per-CPU support
> contract.
What my support contract *may not* do, if the GPL means anything at all,
is assert that merely by copying and installing a GPLed program I have
somehow used the support provider's services.
Whatever one *could* do, I would not suggest really creating a per-CPU
support contract because how could it possibly be enforced? When
you get an issue report from a support customer, how do you know (and
why do you care) on which machine the issue arose?
Rather, support should be sold like a metered utility (like
electricity): You can pay simply for actual usage. The provider
only has to guarantee a supply up to a certain amount. If you
are worried that you'll have spike demands that exceed the default,
you can pay a retainer fee in return for which the support
provider guarantees you a higher level of potential "issues per
minute". To sweeten the pot, the provider could make promises
such as that under-utilized retainer fees are, in part, redirected
to making general improvements to software or to R&D.
-t
[Gnu-arch-users] re: licensing question,
Thomas Lord <=
[Gnu-arch-users] re: licensing question, Thomas Lord, 2006/03/20