[hackerspaces] Software Licensing

[Eric Michaud]

XEN is free. Get's the job done too.

On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 1:05 PM, tetsu yatsu <tetsuharu at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks for the responses.  Any thoughts on Virtual Machines?
>
> On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 1:38 PM, tetsu yatsu <tetsuharu at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Members and non-members are asking that we get proprietary software on our
>> systems, like Adobe CS3, Windows XP, and OSX.  I've actually been
>> exclusively using open-source software the past few years, and didn't really
>> consider that someone would want to run these things.
>>
>> Naturally, they feel that being a 'hacker'space, we have no concept of
>> intellectual property and have no problems stealing software and installing
>> pirated, potentially infected software on our lab computers.  But, being a
>> nonprofit, we are going to get audited at some point, and I wouldn't want a
>> bunch of bootleg installs of Windows to ruin our message.
>>
>> Likewise, a lot of people try to offer us pirated software and MSDN
>> access. (Is it legal to share MSDN access? Shouldn't we just get our own
>> MSDN account?)
>>
>> So far, I'm considering a policy where we only install software we have
>> valid licenses for on lab computers, hopefully with a non-profit discount,
>> but members may run whatever they want on their own machines they bring in
>> since the space is not liable.
>>
>>
>>
>> I know some of you are very supportive of changes in intellectual property
>> laws, but those of us following the laws until then, any advice?
>>
>
>
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