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Can I Distribute This?
erikharrison asks: "LormaLinux is one of several emerging desktop oriented Linux distros. It comes prepackaged with the Flash Plugin, Real Player, and Yahoo IM. Is this legal? The Flash EUL agreement does allow free redistribution, but only of the Mac and Windows version, I can't seem to find a EULA for Linux version of Real Player, and can't even find the Linux version of YIM to check for licence issues. Do these distros know something I don't? And if not, am I only going to cause grief if I go to the software OEM and ask for a redistributable licence for my own project?"
Instead of asking slashdot, I suggest asking the vedors of the software
one wants to include. Much better that way. Makes sense also..
1 people are even allowed to copy and distribute copyright material in most cases, noone cares about copying records and cds onto cassete tapes for friends. Noone worries about people recording tv shows onto vhs.
Because in several jurisdictions, there is explicit legal permission to do so. In any case, did you miss the whole "Home taping is killing music" thing?
2 Copyright isnt even criminal law, its civil. The police dont actually care.
In many jurisdictions, distributing copyrighted material for financial gain (even if it only copies the cost of the media) is criminal.
3 Fair use
Is a mostly US concept. Various parts of the world have no fair use provisions at all.
I think if somethings freely downloadable, its pretty safe to assume its ok to pass it on.
A-ha ha ha. No.
Maybe this is a stupid question, but why not use one of the GPL'd IM clients that works with Yahoo? It's one less headache.
Additional info on fair use
The "fair use" doctrine likely wouldn's apply regardless. Fair use exceptions don't provide for re-distribution in total, but for excerpted redestribution in support of educational and academic goals. Furthermore, fair use can not apply where it would likely diminish the commercial value of the original work.
As an example, say you were writing a book on cinematography. You could create a companion DVD containing 1 or 2 minute snippets of films demonstrating the techniques that you describe in your book. The fact that you are distributing 90 seconds of a 100 minute film is unlikely to damage the film's owner in any meaningful way.
You could not, however, redistribute the entire film, or even a substantial portion of it.