Need legal advice re: Redhat enterprise linux

[lug at the-leveys.us (Don Levey)]

Steve wrote:

>
> Awesome, thanks!
>
> So, if RHEL is purchased directly from RH, then part (if not all) of
> the charge is for (some level of) Service and Support. Therefore, if
> you have purchased the product you have also purchased
> Service/Support, and you are bound to report to RH any additional
> systems to which you have installed the Software.
>
> However, if you have received the Software through any non-billable
> means, then you have not entered into the service contract with RH,
> and you are not bound to report or pay for any system to which you
> install the Software.  It seems that the whole 'trick' is to obtain
> RHEL through some channel (such as whitboxlinux.org as miah pointed
> out) where the distro is either freely available or does not bind you
> to the RHEL license by proxy.
>
Steve,
I don't know about the purchase process for RHEL; it may include a period of
support.  After that expires, they will probably expect you to continue
maintaining your support contract, and in fact many of these things
auto-bill unless you say otherwise.  Once you're in that situation, they can
certainly audit you.  If you tell them to cancel support, stop renewal,
whatever, and are no longer covered then I can't see how they could
legitimately try to audit you.  And, in fact, I don't see the paragraph you
sent saying that they would try unless your contract were "current."

IANAL,
 -Don