ubuntu licence

[Barry Smith]

Preface -- this is an unofficial response only.  I do not represent Ubuntu
officially, or unofficially.

Being a self-employed computer consultant, I appreciate your company's
project plan*.
*I don't see any reason why you couldn't legally sell the CD media, but not
charge for
the Ubuntu OS contained on the CD.

The Ubuntu OS is (after all) Open Source, and FREE for the public to
download and
install.  The only thing that Ubuntu charges for with their "paid" products
is the
printed manuals, the media, and shipping/handling.

Yet, the CD image that you would burn is only a partial image, and requires
internet
access to download many of features that a normal user would request/need,
as well
as to perform updates to Ubuntu.

Again, to be clear, I would think that charging a SMALL fee for the actual
CD ($5 at
the most) which would include download fee and burning fee as well as the
media fee
(CDs are now around 10 to 25 cents a piece) should be legally acceptable,
but I'm
NOT Ubuntu.

If I were to do the same thing with my personal laptops/desktops, and burn
an Ubuntu
installation CD, the above is the guideline for the fee structure that I
would use.

If I were looking to prvide media though... I would download the current
daily DVD
install to burn (which is complete and current daily), and make sure that
the laptops
had a DVD reader at least.  Then I could charge more download time and burn
time,
alhough the price of a CD-R and a DVD-R are actually both less than 25
cents.

Please continue to monitor the list for a more official comment from a more
official
source.

Peace,

Barry
Not an Ubuntu representative


On Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 9:07 AM, Oguz Yarimtepe <comp.ogz at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I was wondering whether there is a restriction at Ubuntu license for
> selling laptops with Ubuntu installed. The commercial company i am
> working is planning to sell some laptops with Ubuntu installed without
> charging for OS but charging the Ubuntu CD itself that will be given
> with the laptop itself.
>
>
> Oğuz
>
>
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