VMWare / Wine

[Michael R. Head]

On Sat, 2007-02-24 at 11:12 -0500, Jeffrey F. Bloss wrote: 
> Dave Grundgeiger wrote:
> 
> > Jeffrey F. Bloss wrote:
> > > In short, if a piece of software lists "Microsoft Windows xxxx" as a
> > > requirement, like almost every piece of Windows software does, it
> > > implies a *legally owned* copy of that software. It doesn't even
> > > have to be installed, IOW Wine is "legal" (the reason the topic
> > > came up), but to run almost any Windows software legally requires
> > > ownership of a Microsoft Windows license more current than Windows
> > > 95.
> > 
> > So, if a piece of software says "512MB minimum RAM" as a requirement
> > and I run it in 256MB, then I'm running it illegally?
> 
> Of course not. The two requirements have almost nothing in common.
> "512MB minimum RAM" not being a recognizable trademark for one. If they
> specifically called out Kingston memory, perhaps...

Unless the license says you MUST run the software on Windows, I don't
see a significant difference. 

If I buy a PS1 game that says it requires a PS1, and I play it on a PS2,
am I illegal? 

Sony bought Connectix to sort out the legal matter of duplicating their
Playstation in software, but there was never an argument about whether
you could run PS1 games on it.

Again, I don't buy the argument that a hardware/software requirement is
equivalent to a MUST statement regarding use. The only entity that could
possibly have a claim against wine (or users of wine) would be Microsoft
because it's their IP that's potentially at risk.

> OTOH, if you call XYZ Comapny and tell them you're running their
> software in 256MB they have every right to effectively disown that
> installation and any attached warranty or support agreement, implied or
> otherwise. Which goes to the "no Windows license = illegal" side by
> spotlighting another way in which these requirements *do* have some
> legal weight weight to them. ;)
> 
-- 
Michael R. Head <burner at suppressingfire.org>
http://www.suppressingfire.org/~burner/
http://suppressingfire.livejournal.com
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