Request of packages

[Christofer C. Bell]

On 8/8/06, Ouattara Oumar Aziz <wattazoum at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> How can I request a package on dapper commercial ? Oracle has Oracle
> eXpress Edition that is free and "lite". Oracle provides a .deb than can
> be installed on ubuntu.

Note, IANAL:

>From the Oracle License for 10g Express Edition:

"License Rights
We grant you a nonexclusive, nontransferable limited license to use
the programs for: (a) purposes of developing, prototyping and running
your applications for your own internal data processing operations;
(b) you may also distribute the programs with your applications;  (c)
you may use the programs to provide third party demonstrations and
training; and d) you may copy and distribute the programs to your
licensees provided that each such licensee agrees to the terms of this
Agreement.   You are not permitted to use the programs for any purpose
other than as permitted under this Agreement. Program documentation is
either shipped with the programs, or documentation may accessed online
at http://otn.oracle.com/docs."

It seems to me that (b) and (d) allow for Ubuntu to redistribute this
software assuming that the user is prompted to indicate agreement to
the license terms during the installation.

One problem I do forsee, however, is due to this point in the license:

"Other
Upon 45 days written notice Oracle may audit the use of the program.
You agree to cooperate with Oracle's audit and provide reasonable
assistance and access to information. You agree that Oracle shall not
be responsible for any of your costs incurred in cooperating with the
audit."

When downloading the Oracle software from Oracle, one is required to
have an OTN (Oracle Technology Network) username and password.  I
would assume that part of this is to gather your contact information
so that Oracle may conduct the audit that you agree to by installing
the software.  If Ubuntu distributes this, they could be helping
people circumvent this clause in the license by denying Oracle access
to user contact information.

So while the license appears to allow redistribution, the license
terms that one agrees to aren't compatible with redistribution.  I'm
not sure that Ubuntu can redistribute this for that reason.  Again,
IANAL and perhaps this discussion has been hashed out on a -legal list
somewhere already.

-- 
Chris

"I trust the Democrats to take away my money, which I can afford.  I
trust the Republicans to take away my freedom, which I cannot."