Messages in this thread | | | Date | Tue, 30 Sep 1997 11:29:30 +0100 (GMT/BST) | From | Mike Jagdis <> | Subject | Re: Linux (free s/w) support |
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On Mon, 29 Sep 1997, Dan Hollis wrote:
> On Mon, 29 Sep 1997, Alex Belits wrote: > > I don't know, how to explain it to management, they for some reason say > > "there will be no one to sue if free software fail", so I assume they > > are until some delusion that they can sue commercial software vendor for > > anything. > > lawsuits are "the american way(tm)(c)", you know. > > management types are under the delusion that if they sue, the problem will > magically go away. having a scapegoat gives them Warm Fuzzies(tm).
Show them the commercial license they bought that disclaims all liability for everything except the media. Ask them if they really want to spend a vast sum of money in a drawn out court case to try and, first of all, overturn this license (which, to the best of my knowledge, *no one* has attempted in any of the major countries yet) or if they want to get the problem fixed and their company making money again. Ask for a written reply which may be used in evaluation of future contracts. Read the reply carefully. You may wish to call some recruitement agents.
Remember, if the problem is major the company is either going to fix it or go under - suing them increases the risk to you. If the problem is pretty much specific to you suing them _might_ get their attention - but you will have to make all the running, taking them to court to force disclosure, arranging expert witnesses etc. while they can just stall, drag their feet etc. Getting results through legal action against them is going *COST*. Which is why it rarely happens in the software world - except as a means of negotiating an exit out of very specific contracts (as opposed to general purchase contracts).
Mike
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