Ubuntu License needed

[iulian X]

Hi everyone, I have a problem with my ISP.

I had shared some ISO images of Ubuntu,and the internet provider was very strongly against that, threatening me that he would file a complaint against me if you do not cease to distribute Ubuntu.
I tried to say that Ubuntu is open source and is legal, but they did not understand and can not accept this.


I wrote to the Business Software Alliance, Microsoft, Romanian Office for Copyright, Bucharest General Police fraud investigation services, intellectual property, customs fraud.
And we asked these institutions their legal position in connection with the use, copying and distribution of Linux (Ubuntu) commercially or privately, and all these institutions sent me to ask the company which develops Ubuntu Linux for such details.


I sent email to Canonical 2-3 weeks ago and asked to receive a pdf document, signed and stamped stating that Ubuntu Linux is a legal system in Europe and Romania or that Ubuntu is distributed under the GPL, with such document and with GPL I could prove that i legali use and distribute Ubuntu.


It's not enough to send those who challenge that Ubuntu is a legally on the Ubuntu site.
I need a copy of a document that states that Canonical give users permission to use Ubuntu under GPL license.
Unfortunately I have not received any reply from Canonical but I received many offers that urges me to use their services as a private or legal entity.


What can i do ?

[lisati]

You might want to direct your ISP to http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop or http://www.ubuntu.com/legal

[iulian X]

You might want to direct your ISP to http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop or http://www.ubuntu.com/legal

In our world of linux lovers maybe it's enough to send a person on a website to show him something, but in the wold of bureaucrats only paperwork maters the rest does not matter.

I am registrerd on the Canonical site as a private individual but also as a legal entity ( a have a firm )

[Elfy]

There's likely to be little anyone here can do other than point you at where you can get the information.

There used to be a document available for use getting Customs in countries to let shipit get CD's to you.

[mips]

Try and get hold of Jono Bacon and ask him if he can put you in contact with Canonical's legal department or whomever he thinks is the right person to speak to.

[grahammechanical]

threatening me that he would file a complaint against me

Where would the ISP file a complaint? Only the owner of the copyright can file a complaint against someone breaching their copyright.


all these institutions sent me to ask the company which develops Ubuntu Linux for such details.

That is correct. It is none of their business. It would be a different matter if you were sharing Microsoft ISO images that were not available for distribution in this way.

Has Canonical threatened you with action for breach of copyright? Perhaps the ISP is concerned that you are engaged in illegal file sharing. May be they think that you are also sharing other files that are copyright and that you are not allowed to share.

I would guess that it has been noticed that you are doing file sharing and the ISP has been notified about it but they do not have legal evidence/proof that you are breaking the law. So, they threaten you.

Has it been suggested that you pay some money to avoid being arrested and charged with a criminal offence? That is a confidence trick to get money off of you.

Is it not better that you direct people to the Ubuntu download page?

Regards.

[iulian X]

That is correct. It is none of their business. It would be a different matter if you were sharing Microsoft ISO images that were not available for distribution in this way.

I know that, but I tried to do this in the bureaucracy way, I tried to gather responses from various institutions and organizations so that next time some one who now nothing about linux and licenses acuse me of bad things i will respond and show them what responses i get from those institutions and organizations.



Perhaps the ISP is concerned that you are engaged in illegal file sharing. May be they think that you are also sharing other files that are copyright and that you are not allowed to share.

Has it been suggested that you pay some money to avoid being arrested and charged with a criminal offence? That is a confidence trick to get money off of you.
Is it not better that you direct people to the Ubuntu download page?
Regards.

The Isp company is small company (I live in a country town)
They have a windows server and do not know to manage well, so look for reasons to blame others. Sometimes the internet fail and they have said that I am to blame because I did that shared folder.

Of course I removed that shared folder from day one, but every time they call me I tell them that I still have that shared folder that is legal and as long as i pay, they have no right to forbid me from sharing legal material . :)

[Irihapeti]

It seems that the real problem is that the ISP is incompetent and very willing to blame others. Unfortunately, no amount of licenses and other paperwork is going to change that.

[snowpine]

Forgive my ignorance, but why should someone download Ubuntu from a country town in Romania instead of from http://ubuntu.com ? I am not sure this battle is worth fighting.

[iulian X]

Actually the problem is with the person in charge of the technical side. The owner of that company does not know much about these things so he belive evrey thing that the person in charge of the technical side he says . That legal act from Canonical I will use in a future discussions with the owner of the company and will prove that his employee is incompetent .I also use that act to promote Ubuntu ,

[iulian X]

Forgive my ignorance, but why should someone download Ubuntu from a country town in Romania instead of from http://ubuntu.com (http://ubuntu.com/) ? I am not sure this battle is worth fighting.Shared folder that was accessible only on the local network, Internet. I do not know the email addresses of those persons facebook account from the network. I thought people would fiind that shared folder and download ISO images of Ubuntu from my computer

[iulian X]

I am not sure this battle is worth fighting.

If speaking of battles, at the moment Canonical encourages us to use and distribute Ubuntu but unfortunately they do not offer any act of showing that ubuntu is legal or comform to download and distribute under GPL license. The Ubuntu volunteers are sent to fight without a weapon, and if you encounter situations like this situation where I am and I write to send me a document are ignored and left to my own. And instead received the requested document via e-mail i am receiving offers and advertisements not what I asked.

Friends laugh at me for using this strange system, people who have no clue about licenses and it, belittle me and urging me to stop distributing Ubuntu in that time Canonical is ignoring all my emails and send me offers and advertisements .

How cool is that .http://ubuntuforums.org/images/icons/icon8.png

[mastablasta]

not cool.

threaten the ISP with european court of justice if they do not stop infringing your rights as european citizen to distrbute the software as per GPL agrement/licence with Cannonical. same goes for your other institutions.

GPL it terms and agreemnts and you will see there that you can distibute the code. there is no other legal paper needed if the creator of software issued this license. and as mentioned they have no right persuing you for copyright claims. they also have no right in monitoring you personal connection.

and also you could try to contact your local ubuntu community team. i am sure there is one.

[Peripheral Visionary]

+1 to mastablasta's point. You're mad at Canonical (licensed in the UK) when you should be mad at your ISP and the other ignorant people who aren't familiar with the GPL. Click for the actual text of the license (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html), and print it or something if they're asking about it.

[ARooster]

I don't get it. What is the problem? There are four Ubuntu software and repository mirrors in Romania, they too host all the software under the same licence and legal frameworks. The website https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+archivemirrors has a list of them, just search Romania.

The companies/institutions are UPC Romania, West University of Timisoara, Agency ARNIEC/RoEduNet, ArLUG (Arad Linux Users Group). So my suggestion would be to ask one of them for help if you need it, as I am sure they are more accustomed to operating within Romanian bureaucracy limitations. Having said that, since Romania is a member of the European Union I am quite sure the legislation on intellectual property and copyrights has to be aligned with EU's guidelines, thus permitting you use of Ubuntu in accordance with the GPL.

By the way, this wouldn't have anything to do with the requirement to make available the software source code? If you only enable access to Ubuntu installers and such you may need to also enable access to the source code.

[iulian X]

I have the unoficial translation of GPL translated into Romanian, but unfortunately it does not specify anything about ubuntu ( or other distro ) and I have no act from Ubuntu to refer to this License.

http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPL_(licen%C8%9B%C4%83,_versiunea_3)


I need that document to make the connection between these two issues GPL and Ubuntu .


( I am convinced of the things you say, the problem is that i want to have all the necessary documents to convince people who do not know these issues )

The reason I started this topic here is because I was convinced that on this forum i will find people from Canonical staff to help me.

[ARooster]

Right. Well, GPL is standard form, it will of course not specify anything about Ubuntu or any distribution, but Ubuntu clearly states that you're bound by the individual licences for every bit of software, compiled in Ubuntu. The licencing info from Canonical can be found here (http://www.ubuntu.com/about/about-ubuntu/licensing). The software used in Ubuntu is all released under various forms of free licences, so I'm afraid Canonical cannot state that the whole software package that is the Ubuntu Linux operating system is covered by GPL.

I would suggest you contact the IT department of the above mentioned university and ask them what, if anything, they had to do in order to host the repositories mirror on their servers.

[Elfy]

...
The reason I started this topic here is because I was convinced that on this forum i will find people from Canonical staff to help me.

Then you are mistaken.

[Thee]

What can your ISP really do to you? They have no proof that what you shared is illegal. So why would you need to prove anything?

[iulian X]

Almost all the clients of that isp use pirated windows and illegally download torrent files.


I must clarify this situation once and forever, if a copyright inspection will come because those people, the people who run that isp firm they will tell the others clients that because of me that happened, they will throw the blame on me . ( I am afraid that i will become scapegoat )
If i do not make it clear that a shared folder does not affect Internet network, they will put the blame that internet conexion goes down.


My neighbors will hate me and they will consider me the enemie.( not themselves or the isp ignorance)


There's likely to be little anyone here can do other than point you at where you can get the information.

There used to be a document available for use getting Customs in countries to let shipit get CD's to you.

Where can a get o copy of that document ?

[Elfy]

Almost all the slients of that isp most users use pirated windows and illegally download torrent files.


I must clarify this situation once and forever, if a copyright inspection will come because those people, the people who run that isp firm they will tell the others clients that because of me that happened they will throw the blame on my . ( I am afraid that i will become scapegoat )
If i do not make it clear that a shared folder does not affect Internet network, they will put the blame that internet conexion goes down.


My neighbors will hate me and they will consider me the enemie.( not themselves or the isp ignorance)



Where can a get o copy of that document ?

I have no idea - shipit is long gone.

Quite honestly you need to wait for Canonical to reply to you - this thread is more or less going in circles now.

Find yourself another ISP would be my plan.

[codingman]

I would do the same. You can't really do much when the ISP people are so ignorant and will blame you for everything, especially when all of the other people using the ISP are using pirated windows. I think it's just making them suspicious.

[iulian X]

I'm getting upset, I feel ignored,still receive mail from Canonical with offers and promotions but no response to my requests.

[codingman]

I'm not sure why they are doing this to you, but, are there other ISP's around that you could try?

[Col936]

I suggest that you switch ISP's, if applicable. If an ISP is monitoring your personal connection(To which they have no right), blaming YOU for downtime, and threatening to file a complaint against you for distributing free software when your neighbors are using pirated Windows and illegally torrenting files, then the BS meter is off the chart. If an ISP is that ignorant then they don't deserve your money at all, whatsoever. So if you can, switch ISP's, or if not, I wish you luck in this battle. :wink:

[cariboo]

If you aren't getting any satisfaction from Canonical, you may want to contact Jono Bacon (https://launchpad.net/~jonobacon) or Jorge Castro (https://launchpad.net/~jorge), their email addresses are on their launchpad pages, that I linked to. Please explain to them, about the problem you are having with your ISP.

[Gone fishing]

I don't know Romania, but I have plenty of third world experience and I guess that the reason the the question is being asked is that band width is expensive, difficult etc and that people can't simply download an iso. For me the shipit program was the reason I started with Ubuntu a CD download over a 33kbs dialup was not a realistic option, before that I'd bought Suse box sets. I also guess that this small town does not have lots of ISPs otherwise our questioner would not be using such a ignorant ISP.

The problem, it would be nice if cannonical could send you (the questioner) what you want, but failing that I guess that you could download the Romanian translation of the GPL and print off the licensing information you will find /usr/share/doc/ubuntu-docs and contains


This package contains documents which will be packaged together and
shipped as ubuntu-docs in the Ubuntu distribution. They contain
documents targetted for end-users of Ubuntu as a desktop.

And


This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.

go to a notary and get it stamped up or a lawyer and get a document made up and take that to the ISP he may be happy.

Possibly if the questioner doesn't do this he will have problems with the ISP or some equally ignorant official.

[DMGrier]

Wouldn't the GPL be enough proof for your ISP?

https://help.ubuntu.com/12.04/installation-guide/i386/appendix-gpl.html

[castrojo]

As cariboo mentioned, send me a CC of the mail you sent and I'll ask someone to check it out. A bunch of us are currently at a developer sprint in Oakland so my response might be delayed but I'll do the best I can.

[iulian X]

@castrojo
I got the answer from Jono Bacon, it seems that there is no such a document, but will try to help me and send my email to Michelle


Wouldn't the GPL be enough proof for your ISP?
https://help.ubuntu.com/12.04/installation-guide/i386/appendix-gpl.html


I have the unoficial translation of GPL translated into Romanian, but unfortunately it does not specify anything about ubuntu ( or other distro ) and I have no act from Ubuntu to refer to this License.

http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPL_(licen%C8%9B%C4%83,_versiunea_3)


I need that document to make the connection between these two issues GPL and Ubuntu .

( I am convinced of the things you say, the problem is that i want to have all the necessary documents to convince people who do not know these issues )

[lisati]

@castrojo
I got the answer from Jono Bacon, it seems that there is no such a document, but will try to help me and send my email to Michelle

Have a look at the Wikipedia page (http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPL_%28licen%C8%9B%C4%83,_versiunea_3%29), you'll find a link labelled "Tipărire/exportare" that will let you download the information as a PDF file.

[iulian X]

Its ok now, Isabel Roszkowski gave me a sign a document which as a Legal personality (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_personality) i can:



To provide services in Relation to Ubuntu, Including distribution, installation, support and maintenance.



Tahnks Ubuntu Team

[mips]

Maybe they should upload that to their site somewhere in case others need it.

[iulian X]

You must have a small firm or be a Legal personality (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_personality) to receive such document .

[iulian-cov]

I suggest that you switch ISP's, if applicable. If an ISP is monitoring your personal connection(To which they have no right), blaming YOU for downtime, and threatening to file a complaint against you for distributing free software when your neighbors are using pirated Windows and illegally torrenting files, then the BS meter is off the chart. If an ISP is that ignorant then they don't deserve your money at all, whatsoever. So if you can, switch ISP's, or if not, I wish you luck in this battle.

Hi i am back, I am Iulian X
I have not been logged in here for a long time so I used Ubuntu One account, i hope i can recover my old acount but if not il will use the new one.

Let me tell you what happened since then .
I switch ISP company after a short period, recently the person in charge of the technical side was fired. :) :)
A new person was hired, when i found out that I went there and talked to the new person about Ubuntu i even gave that new person a original 10.10 cd from the shipit program.

Now let me tell you about the other things i did since then.

I got in touch with a famous TV producer in Romania on his blog, I talked about Ubuntu.
I talked about why I like Ubuntu and show Him how to use it, I told him about the strengths and weaknesses of Ubuntu.
He is a Mac user but I learned with joy that his mother uses Ubuntu, and I asked him to present this system and within his show and did this repeatedly.

These are only 2 show there are a lot more:
http://stirileprotv.ro/stiri/ilikeit/ilikeit-ce-putem-instala-gratuit-pe-computer-sistem-de-operare-office-audio-foto-video-chat.html

http://stirileprotv.ro/stiri/ilikeit/gratis-nu-inseamna-prost-exemplul-ubuntu-sistemul-de-operare-care-poate-fi-rulat-chiar-de-pe-stick.html

Continue to correspond with him and to present news from the world of Linux .

Do me a proposal for release of all GNU phenomenon. And lets make a iLike IT.
From now you're officially correspondent on all-things-linux on iLikeIT! How does it sound?

I do not know if it is related ( may be not ) but shortly after those shows, a chain of stores offered for free to 159 schools in Romania 1749 functional notebooks ( Asus X101CH ) with Edubuntu on them, unfortunately I learned that the Ministry of Education began to wipe the Edubuntu system on those notebooks and install Windows .

We the members open source communities have opened a petition to prevent this but unfortunately we did not collect enough signatures, although the number of people using Ubuntu or Linux are thousands.

http://www.yousign.org/ro/Petiie-mpotriva-trecerii-pe-Windows-a-laptopurilor-cu-EduBuntu-t-27185

I'll tell you a little secret, did you know that Microsoft has a " Achilles heel " and that is found in Romania?
You know that the second spoken language at Microsoft after English is Romanian ?
It happens so because Romanian people are very clever at it, so Microsoft has a special interest in the recruit people from here ( Romania ).
Do you want to give a fatal blow to Microsoft?
Convince the people from Romania to use ubuntu or start their own open source buisneses and shortly after that Microsoft will run out of people and enter in bankruptcy.
Perhaps i am joking or not :p ;)


Did you now that the one of the precursors of cybernetics was a Romanian scientist caled Ştefan Odobleja?

His major work, Psychologie consonantiste, first published in 1938 and 1939, in Paris, had established many of the major themes of cybernetics regarding cybernetics and systems thinking nine years before Norbert Wiener.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9Etefan_Odobleja

A world without Romania


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dZGDy45ZeI

[tgalati4]

Interesting story. I probably have some Romanian blood.

[iulian X]

Interesting story. I probably have some Romanian blood.
I'm not 100% pure Romanian blood, one of the parents of my grandmother was Russian.

And my last family name sounds a litle bit Russian i dont now why :) :) :)

[mastablasta]

I do not know if it is related ( may be not ) but shortly after those shows, a chain of stores offered for free to 159 schools in Romania 1749 functional notebooks ( Asus X101CH ) with Edubuntu on them, unfortunately I learned that the Ministry of Education began to wipe the Edubuntu system on those notebooks and install Windows .


there should be a EU directive (maybe there already is) that would force the governments to use only open source as standard.

i mean replacing eudbuntu with windows is just crazy. and they were willing to pay for the licences? people seem to be ok with spendign money for not good reason

[iulian X]

i mean replacing eudbuntu with windows is just crazy.

Crazy ended because this thing may lead to stoping the campain of that private firm.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2199524

[iulian X]

I'll tell you a little secret, did you know that Microsoft has a " Achilles heel " and that is found in Romania?
You know that the second spoken language at Microsoft after English is Romanian ?
It happens so because Romanian people are very clever at it, so Microsoft has a special interest in the recruit people from here ( Romania ).
Do you want to give a fatal blow to Microsoft?
Convince the people from Romania to use ubuntu or start their own open source buisneses and shortly after that Microsoft will run out of people and enter in bankruptcy.
Perhaps i am joking or not :p ;)


Did you now that the one of the precursors of cybernetics was a Romanian scientist caled Ştefan Odobleja?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9Etefan_Odobleja

A world without Romania

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dZGDy45ZeI

Oftopic:
Have you ever been to Paris with someone you love ?
Have you ever looked at Eiffel Tower for hours or did you got in it with your beloved ?
Guess what, the steel and the tehnology that they used to built the Eiffel Tower came from Romania. :) :) :)

In the late 1880s, steel produced at Reșița was sent to France to be used in building the Eiffel Tower.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Re%C8%99i%C8%9Ba_works


Eiffel himself documented Pănculescu's contribution in his work titled 'Communication sur les travaux de la tour de 300 m' written in 1887.[2] The same technology was used by Eiffel in building the Eiffel Tower.[3] Gheorghe Pănculescu became the General Inspector of the CFR SA, the Romanian national train operator.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gheorghe_P%C4%83nculescu_(engineer)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbeCVFRqhqI

[robin7]

I have a license for my Xubuntu:

When I share Xubuntu with friends some of them insist on having one...

http://myphotos.mypclinuxos.com/images/Artim/certificadoxubuntu.png

[iulian X]

A great idea, can we do that for Ubuntu olso?