[Asterisk-Users] Vonage

[Jon Pounder]

ok so here is a more correct analogy.

what if a company like gateway decided for its own lazyiness they were 
going to build every system they sell the same way and install linux and 
windows on the harddrive. If they sell you a linux system you are not 
allowed to boot it in windows.

would you be prepared to call them morons ? This software took a long time 
to develop as well. If it is not part of the package sold it should not be 
there.

if they don't want you using software/firmware, it should not be shipped on 
a piece of hardware, or features should be introduced to disable it for 
other than the licenced use.

If something is sitting there on a device and I bought the physical thing 
outright (not just a software licence), then I feel it is an extreme 
invasion of my privacy to dictate to me the manner in which I may use that 
device if I own it.

If you bought a car and there was a briefcase full of cash in the trunk 
would you keep it ? The car is yours, it is not your problem why the cash 
was there, it is part of indivisible property you hold title to.

I feel much the same way about radio frequency transmissions - if you don't 
want someone receiving transmissions, then fix the transmitter so they 
can't. I own my property and the rights to any RF radiation contained in my 
space.

Would you keep your valuables out in the street ? If you did would you be 
surprised if people took them ?


At 08:28 PM 2/24/2003 -0600, you wrote:
>According to Jon Pounder:
> >
> > What would you think if I sold you a screw and told you, you could only
> > hit it with a hammer unless you bought the screwdriver licence ?
> >
> > You would think I am an idiot and use the screwdriver anyway. Same thing
> > here. A feature restricting licence for hardware is a moronic concept.
>
>Your analogy is cute, but inaccurate. If you wrote your own ATA firmware
>from scratch (a hammer) to run on the ATA-186 hardware (a screw), you would
>not legally require a separate license (or screwdriver) of any sort.
>However, ATA-186 hardware is much more proprietary than your everyday screw,
>and rolling your own firmware is much more difficult than using a hammer to
>drive a screw. If you want to run the Cisco code to speak SIP/MGCP/h323,
>you'll need a software license. SmartNet is optional, though only $10 or so.
>
>Look, this is all going to boil down to a licensing brouhaha anyway. Let's
>all just understand that Cisco sells valuable software separately from
>valuable hardware and makes a hefty profit on both. If you follow the rules,
>you pay for the software you run on the ATA. If you don't follow the rules,
>find a disreputable AVVID-certified Cisco reseller to sell you the unbundled
>spare (ATA-186-I1=) hardware alone and copy an unlicensed firmware image
>from Vonage or a buddy. I'll be happy to pay the piper for solid hardware...
>and software.
>
>rm
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Roderick Montgomery   rod at thecomplex.com   <URL:http://thecomplex.com/>
>the fool stands only to fall, but the wise trip on grace... [Sarah Masen]
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