[CentOS] RHEL on The Pirate Bay, Mininova, etc

[R P Herrold]

On Sat, 22 Mar 2008, Ray Van Dolson wrote:

> What we need is a case that's been taken to court and a verdict given.
> :)

umm -- Istrongly disagree.

There are services sold by people called 'lawyers' whom sell 
authoritative analysis, guidance, and answers they'll stand 
behind as a professional to questions like this;  all a court 
case would do is settle one set of facts as interpreted to 
their license document, and open the door to the next one. 
It also carries the explicit transaction costs of prosecuting 
such a suit, and the 'softer' potential reputational damage in 
a skitterish FOSS community.

> I've long tried to get an answer from RH as to whether or not I can
> reinstall their media on other machines just "without" buying an
> entitlement (after all you can continue using RH after the 30 demo
> expires).
>
> I've never gotten an answer from RH on this, and I have heard solid
> interpretations of their EULA from both sides.

Nor should an answer reasonably be expected in such a 
circumstance.  RHT has a legal duty to answer and account to 
its stockholders; I assume this provides them with plenty of 
incentive not to offer free legal advice on how to 'game' that 
license, even putting to one side prohibitions on unlicensed 
practice of law.

-- Russ herrold