Wanted: Flash player for <browser_of_choice>....

[Gayn Winters]

Bristol Systems Inc.
714/532-6776
www.bristolsystems.com 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org 
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org] On Behalf Of 
> Svein Halvor Halvorsen
> Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2006 11:17 AM
> To: Bob Johnson
> Cc: portmgr at freebsd.org; bobo1009 at mailtest2.eng.ufl.edu; 
> freebsd-questions at freebsd.org; Kris Kennaway
> Subject: Re: Wanted: Flash player for <browser_of_choice>....
> 
> 
> On 4/13/06, Bob Johnson <fbsdlists at gmail.com> wrote:
> > I think that if only one person questions this, their 
> response will be
> > that there aren't enough FreeBSD users to worry about.  If several
> > question it (politely), it might get a little attention somewhere
> > above the front-line customer service level.
> >
> > Anyway, the answer I got is not highly enlightening.  The most
> > significant paragraph (I think):
> >
> >    Please note that it is your option whether to install 
> Flash Player
> >    on your FreeBSD; however, please note that we cannot provide
> >    you with any technical support, warranties or remedies for the
> >    software, although it is clearly stated on the End User License
> >    Agreement, the only authorized operating systems where you
> >    may download and install Flash Player.
> >
> > I'm pretty sure they are telling me that is up to me 
> whether or not I
> > break the law. I already knew that.
> 
> When I emailed them about this, I was first told that FreeBSD was not
> tested and therefor not supported. But when I clarified my question,
> stating that the issue is a legal one, not a technical one, they told
> me thet the EULA must be respected. (What else could they have said?).
> 
> They were understanding, though, and asked me to file a feature
> request for the Flash team, to support FreeBSD, which I did.
> 

After reading the Adobe licensing FAQs
http://www.macromedia.com/licensing/distribution/faq/
It seems to me that the proper route would be via a special license
request rather than a feature request.  This would probably get to
someone in their legal department who could decide if a change in the
EULA is easier that a special FreeBSD license (which would have to get
distributed with the port or package.)  On the cited page there is a
link to a form for such special license requests.  I don't know who the
right person within the FreeBSD community is to make such a request....

-gayn

Bristol Systems Inc.
714/532-6776
www.bristolsystems.com