Xref: utzoo comp.sys.ibm.pc:28259 comp.dcom.lans:2766 comp.sys.mac:31175
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wasatch!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!munnari!vuwcomp!massey!GEustace
From: GEustace@massey.ac.nz (Glen Eustace)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.dcom.lans,comp.sys.mac
Subject: SHAREWARE on Networks
Message-ID: <48@massey.ac.nz>
Date: 1 May 89 22:58:31 GMT
Reply-To: GEustace@massey.ac.nz (Glen Eustace)
Organization: Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Lines: 42

Here at Massey University we are in the process of setting up a large
LAN to support PCs and MACs. To date we have a Pyramid 9815 supporting
PC-NFS and AUFS. Things appear to be progressing well, however we are
concerned about what software we can ethically put on the server.

To date we have been installing software for which we have purchased
appropriate licensing or which is clearly marked as being in the
Public Domain. Our problem is that there is a huge amount of software
that is labelled SHAREWARE.

We recently received about 150M of PC software from SIMTEL20, there is
alot of very good SHAREWARE software included. If we put the software
up on the server, are we liable for the registration? or are our users?

Many PD software outlets include SHAREWARE software on their disks,
bulletin boards etc., and treat it as though it were in the Public Domain.

Our user community consists of about 1200 PC users, presently some 25
have been connected to the network. The dilema is that we can supply
SHAREWARE to our users on disks and it then become their
responsibility to register it. If we put it on the server, it would
appear to be our responsibility. We can't afford to register every
SHAREWARE package for 1200 users but we believe we have some
obligation to our user community to ensure its availablity.

I would love to hear what others think about SHAREWARE on LANS and how
this problem can be addressed. There must be some solution that is
fair to the SHAREWARE Authors, us as the Network Support service and
our Users.
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Glen Eustace, Software Mgr, Comp.Cntr, Massey Uni, Palmerston Nth, N.Z.
Janet/Greybook: G.Eustace@nz.ac.massey        Phone: +64 63 69099 x7440
CSnet/ACSnet/Internet: G.Eustace@massey.ac.nz      New Zealand = GMT+12
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