Charging the net....

[Kenneth Jamieson]

In article <1991Apr22.081417 at mccall.com> tp at mccall.com (Terry Poot) writes:
>[Lordy, lordy, not again. PLEASE don't start the shareware flames in
>news.admin. I'm directing followups to alt.sources.d. I'm sure they don't
>want it either, but it fits there better than here, and he did post it to
>alt.sources.]

	Tell me about it ... I am not in the mood for it either. 

>Shrink-wrap licenses are considered questionable by some, but your notice
>has less force. With a shrink-wrap license, it states that by opening the
>package you agree to the license. Thus the user has to do something that
>indicates agreement with the license (whether that would hold in court
>is another debate, please don't address it here). With your software, I had
>to do nothing to receive the code. I didn't agree to anything, and you gave
>it to me anyway. I'm no lawyer, but I'll bet you couldn't sue me for
>violating your license (your copyright is another matter entirely; as I
>said in you email, it looked valid and will be respected).


	Not true. Shareware SOURCE is perfectly valid as far as
licensing goes. In order to have the SOFTWARE (binaries) wich will be
under licence you have to perform a specific act.... compile them.
Thus, (read the text of the amended README) the ACT OF COMPILATION is
an acceptance of the licence. Prefectly legal.

	If you dont want the licence, don't compile it.

>attached. I never asked for the present, but that doesn't mean I'll
>return it. US law says I can keep it (or so I hear) and you can't charge me
>for it. email doesn't get the same coverage by law (yet, go EFF!), but I
>think of them that way.

	Hmm.. I see the point, but the thing I sent you (source) has
no fee attached. Ok.. I see this point .. now , doesn't that apply
like the storage fee ?? I never asked HIM or his company to do
anything for me at all... we have no contract, and I was never
notified of his fee's before the bill came.

>
>BTW, I'm much more likely to pay for software that requests a contribution
>IF I find the software useful. This is the proper way to give away software
>and get money for it. (The other way is to sell adjunct products, like
>support, nice docs, etc.)

	two points (and as I say , they are moot because I have change
the terms......) ...

	1) That's what shareware is. You have it, you try it, if you
like it , you sned money, if you don't you delete it and that's it.
SImple. Or would you intend to keep something you didn't find useful
anyway ?

	2) But if they post something and say "and if you want
support, call 1-000-000-0000 and well sent you a price list" isn't
THAT commercial ?? And will the mating call of the wild POLITICALLY
ACTIVE SYSADMIN go out ?




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