Unsigned contracts most certainly have been found to be binding. Verbal contracts are binding if you can clearly demonstrate the terms. Non-verbal contacts can even be binding. I saw an example of a fellow who regularly buys a candy bar from a shop. On a certain day, the customer comes in, sees the owner busy with another customer, picks up the candy bar, waves it at the owner and leaves. There is a contract and an enforcable promise to pay despite the lack of words, written contract or signature.
Shrinkwrap licenses are another example of contract without signature. The ProCD v. Zeidenberg case held that they were valid contracts.
I agree, though it's kinda scarey to see a specific distro tie-in like this. So what if everyone runs to Red Hat first, and doesn't offer their products to the other distros? If everyone runs to Red Hat, then Red Hat has to pick and choose or risk cutting their margins because they have to pay for all these goodies. If the third-party software folks are not charging for their addins (a la Netscape), there's no reason why they wouldn't want it included in as many distributions as will carry it. In short, I think that there's a lot of room in the Linux marketplace for third party add ins. I mean, how many Red Hat users really want some kind of demo Real server with an absurdly low number of connections allowed. Anomalous Canard==Anormal Duck? Curses! Foiled again! o>Anomalous: syn. irregular /)Canard: Fr. duck
Slashdot Mirror
No! I'm no Odd Duck!
/)Canard: Fr. duck
Unsigned contracts most certainly have been found to be binding. Verbal contracts are binding if you can clearly demonstrate the terms. Non-verbal contacts can even be binding. I saw an example of a fellow who regularly buys a candy bar from a shop. On a certain day, the customer comes in, sees the owner busy with another customer, picks up the candy bar, waves it at the owner and leaves. There is a contract and an enforcable promise to pay despite the lack of words, written contract or signature.
Shrinkwrap licenses are another example of contract without signature. The ProCD v. Zeidenberg case held that they were valid contracts.
o>Anomalous: syn. irregular
Rats! Folied again!
/)Canard: Fr. duck
o>Anomalous: syn. irregular
I've been found out again!
/)Canard: Fr. duck
o>Anomalous: syn. irregular
I agree, though it's kinda scarey to see a specific distro tie-in like this. So what if everyone runs to Red Hat first, and doesn't offer their products to the other distros? If everyone runs to Red Hat, then Red Hat has to pick and choose or risk cutting their margins because they have to pay for all these goodies. If the third-party software folks are not charging for their addins (a la Netscape), there's no reason why they wouldn't want it included in as many distributions as will carry it. In short, I think that there's a lot of room in the Linux marketplace for third party add ins. I mean, how many Red Hat users really want some kind of demo Real server with an absurdly low number of connections allowed. Anomalous Canard==Anormal Duck? Curses! Foiled again!
/)Canard: Fr. duck
o>Anomalous: syn. irregular