licensing terms

licensing terms

[dmr]

As Presotto mentioned in another context, to
get an authoritative answer to a hard question
about licensing, you have to talk to Software
Solutions, and be prepared for whatever answer
they give you.

I think some of the questions asked were easier.

 ... is it OK to

	- use the text processing software of Plan 9
	  to PRODUCE a book or any other piece of
	  writing I later SELL to others?
Yes, I think this is pretty easy for an individual
to justify as research or education.

	- being paid for writing a book ABOUT Plan 9
	  (not necessarily USING Plan 9 for the process
	  of writing).
OK. However, you would have to get permission to quote code.

  Further, given that there is another person or company who
  ALSO has a valid "non-commercial" license (bought independently
  from mine), would it be OK

	- being paid by the OTHER person/company for
	  developing software using their system.
OK

	- being paid for teaching the other person how to
	  use the system and about its inner workings (i.e.
	  SELLING knowledge I acquired by means of MY OWN
	  system)?
OK
	- develop software on MY OWN system and later SELL it
	  to someone else with a valid "non-commercial" license?

This is the sticky one.  The buyer doesn't matter;
the question is whether you are using the system solely
for research and educational purposes.

Incidentally, an issue that hasn't been faced yet to my
knowledge is whether or how to deal with large-scale
administrative use.  The commercial license proposals
I have seen so far envision only sales or services.
However, I think it likely that the issue is (so to speak)
academic; it's hard to imagine a company that would convert
its operations to Plan 9 at this stage.

	Dennis