[Asterisk-Users] Re: Advice on OS Choice

[Peter Svensson]

On Thu, 14 Oct 2004, David McNett wrote:

> On 14-Oct-2004, Kevin Walsh wrote:
> > Red Hat have embedded their trademark all over their Enterprise
> > editions so that they can restrict sales in that way.  Red Hat still
> > have an obligation to release the various GPLed components as usual but
> > don't have to package the components nor create a downloadable CD ISO
> > image.
> 
> While this is correct, it is only half the story.  The EULA on RHEL goes
> much further than relying on mere trademark protections.  RedHat
> successfully uses their Trademark rights to prevent others from 
> distributing "RHEL" but that has no sway over an existing user of RHEL.
> 
> The EULA is where the real teeth are -- prohibiting even people who 
> have purchased RHEL from using it in ways that RedHat prohibits.  For
> example, it is not possible to purchase one copy of RHEL and install it
> on two machines.  Nor are you allowed to run RHEL on a machine without
> having purchased support.  I am unclear on how this is not a further
> restriction on the code (and therefore prohibited by the GPL) but the
> FSF appears unwilling to pursue the point. 

You cannot install a standard RHEL on a computer without copying non-gpl 
components. You could strip out all the non-gpl components and replace 
them. Then it would be legal to create a cpoy by installing on several 
computers. Which is what distributions such as WhiteBox and Tao have 
already done for you.

Peter