[NCLUG] press release: draft 2

[S. Luke Jones]

Here is a 2nd draft.  I've tried to address people's concerns
and I think you'll find the tone is a little less strident.
I expressly denounce "piracy" and don't even pause to note
that duplicating bits is hardly equivalent to murder and
rapine on the high seas.

Bear in mind that the month is half over.  We're supposed to
strike while the iron is hot. (Don't send me Cromwell quotes.)

Does anybody have *serious* problems with this? If so,
please suggest specific alternate wording, not vague
suggestions. Pretend this is Bugzilla and you're submitting
a patch to the kernel. "It's slow" is rarely helpful.
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Northern Colorado Linux User's Group
http://nclug.org/

Worried About Software Licensing? Linux Group Offers Relief!

Industry association casts wide net in search of software
pirates; Front Range Linux experts offer help to software
users concerned by threatening letters.

Fort Collins, Colorado (February 15, 2001) -- The Northern
Colorado Linux User's Group (NCLUG) announced "Operation
White Flag," an initiative to support software users
threatened by a recent industry group crackdown on software
piracy. The NCLUG program offers assistance to users
wishing to replace their software with alternatives that
have more attractive licensing terms.

"NCLUG is not defending software piracy," said NCLUG
president Matt Taggart. "If you're deliberately violating
a software license, then our advice is 'don't do that.'"

The problem NCLUG hopes to address, Taggart explained, is
harsh licensing terms that may jeopardize legitimate users.
"The typical end-user license agreement runs to thousands
of words.  It's virtually impossible for non-lawyers to
know if they are using their software in accordance with
licensing terms." The Microsoft Windows 2000 end-user
license agreement (EULA), for example, is 14 pages long.
Microsoft Office 2000 has a 9 page EULA.

"If you're using a package and you post a review of its good
and bad points to an internet mailing list, you might be in
violation of your shrink-wrap agreement," said NCLUG vice
president Matt Clausen.

Under NCLUG "Operation White Flag" program, users of
software can receive expert assistance in replacing
operating system and application software encumbered
with overly restrictive or complex license agreements
with alternatives that offer more liberal licensing
terms. "NCLUG can escort you off the battlefield,"
said Luke Jones, NCLUG Special Operations Coordinator.
"Once the noncombatants are out of the way," he
continued, "then the industry can go after the real
criminals."

NCLUG recommends software licensed under so-called open
source agreements such as the GNU Public License (GPL),
the Berkeley or BSD License, the Mozilla Public License
(MPL), the Sun Industry Standards Source License (SISSL),
and others, as alternatives to harsh licensing agreements
such as the Microsoft EULA mentioned above.

The GPL, which governs use of the Linux operating system,
allows unlimited, world-wide, royalty-free use and
redistribution of software licensed under its terms.
Under the GPL, Linux can be installed on any number of
computers, at work and at home, without fear of violating
the agreement. This is a boon to businesses that use
software on a network, where an entire sub-industry has
blossomed to provide license auditing and enforcement
software and consulting services.

The NCLUG initiatives are a response to a recent
escalation in an ongoing campaign by the Business
Software Alliance (BSA).

The BSA campaign offers a temporary "truce" during which
businesses must, to stave off further intimidation and
harrassment, gather evidence proving their innocence.
Given the complex character of many license agreements,
this can be an administrative headache. "A typical office
machine might have four or five applications plus the
operating system," explained Evelyn Mitchell, CEO of
tummy.com, a local software consulting company. "Multiply
that by however many machines you have, and it's a real
burden," she continued.

In copies of the letter obtained by NCLUG, the BSA describes
its mission as educational. Nothing in the letter identifies
the adversary against whom its members are "allied."

The BSA letter does not explain why it was sent to the
recipient. Presumably, the BSA considers all recipients to
be software pirates, or at least potential pirates. "The
BSA is calling a truce," the letter states. "You have
until Feburary 28 to get legal."

A separate mailing by BSA member Microsoft was received by
some recipients of the BSA "truce" letter. The Microsoft
letter refers to the ongoing "truce" and recommends that
recipients work with SoftChoice, a software reseller, to
determine what additional software is required. Users who
need to purchase additional software can purchase it under
Microsoft's volume purchase program. "What a coincidence,"
declared Sean Reifschneider.

"I'm amazed that Microsoft's customers put up with this
kind of treatment," said Clausen. "It underscores how
Microsoft leverages its monopoly." In a landmark trial,
a federal judge last year determined that Microsoft was
a monopolist and ordered its breakup. The decision is
under appeal. Microsoft is not alone, however. Most of
the BSA members offer comparable licensing terms and
many of them have volume purchase programs.

Operation White Flag runs until February 28, the
conclusion of the BSA Truce. "If there is ongoing
interest, we may extend the program into the spring,"
said Jones.

Participation in the program is open to all. There is
no cost for the service or, if needed, the software
that will be installed.

To take advantage of the program, businesses and
individuals should access the "Operation White Flag"
link on the NCLUG web page (http://nclug.org/).


About NCLUG

NCLUG, the Northern Colorado Linux User's Group, is a
community of hobbyists, professionals, and others
interested in the Linux operating system. It has been
operating in Fort Collins since 1996. Its members
advocate the widespread adoption of Linux and other
open-source software.

Previous NCLUG activities have included "Linux
Demonstration Day" and "Linux Install Fest" events
every autumn, and demonstrations at the Community
Internet Festival.

NCLUG holds regular monthly meetings on the first
Tuesday of each month at the tummy.com offices,
200A College Ave. North, Fort Collins.


About Linux

Linux is a UNIX-like operating system that began as an
amateur project in 1991. An operating system lies at the
heart of a computer and manages the application programs,
the hardware, and all the data files.

Licensed under the GPL, Linux soon benefitted from
modifications contributed by a world-wide cadre of
software developers. It runs on systems from 386-based
desktop computers to mainframes to supercomputers. The
internet search engine Google runs Linux, as does the
biotech firm InCyte, which uses the world's largest
Linux-based "compute farm" to crack the human
genome. Linux is now considered a strategic operating
system by corporations such as Hewlett-Packard, IBM,
and Compaq.

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-- 
Luke Jones  luke vortex frii fullstop com
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-- 
Luke Jones  luke vortex frii fullstop com