Hello,

As a result of Borland's Kylix and JBuilder licenses for Linux, I humbly ask
you to consider posting this letter or similar information.  I hope to get
Borland to change their outrageous policy.

Kindest Regards,
T.J. Duchene

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------

Subject: License Protest
Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 14:54:58 -0600
From: T.J. Duchene <linuxman at worldwebcafe.com>
To: "steve stroud" <sstroud at borland.com>

An Open Letter to Borland/Inprise Concerning Licensing


								January 4, 2002

To: 		Borland/Inprise Corporation
From:		T.J. Duchene
Subject: 	License Policy for your Software under Linux


First, I want to be clear in that I have been a Borland customer for many
years, and have used your products over competitors' offerings, whenever
possible.  I feel that I cannot remain silent after reviewing your recent
license agreements.  I had a very unpleasant surprise when I decided to test
JBuilder 5, and Kylix 2 Open Edition.  Both of these products were designed
for the Linux operating system.  After reading the license, I immediately
aborted the install procedure.  Both have a license provisions which I feel
are both invasive, as well as ethically and morally reprehensible. To begin,
I quote your own license:

12.  AUDIT.  During the term of this License and for one
(1) year thereafter, upon reasonable notice and during
normal business hours, Borland or its outside auditors will
have the right to enter your premises and access your
records and computer systems to verify that you have paid
to Borland the correct amounts owed under this License
and determine whether the Products are being used in
accordance with the terms of this License.  You will
provide reasonable assistance to Borland in connection
with this provision.  You agree to pay the cost of the audit
if any underpayments during the period covered by the
audit amount to more than five percent (5%) of the fees
actually owed for that period.


We are to grant you access to our work and materials, for the purposes of
verifying compliance with this license.  In other words, we forfeit our
rights of privacy at our facilities or our homes - a right which we are
guaranteed under the Constitution, simply to satisfy you that we are not
cheating on a license.  There will never be a circumstance, that I will allow
Borland or any other greedy software company to invade my home without a
warrant authorized by a court of law.   You have no right to even ask for
such a thing, in my opinion.

Another concern shared by many beside privacy is the protection of
intellectual rights and property.  What guarantees do I have that your
company or your auditing personnel will not exploit time spent accessing my
systems to either steal, compromise, or contaminate my data security,
non-disclosure agreements, intellectual rights or patents on software  I may
have in development?   I would say none.  Even if you promised, how could you
realistically enforce it?  Once something has been viewed, you can't un-view
it.  Your license doesn't even specify which products on computer systems you
want to view.  One or all? Windows, OS/2, AS/400 or Linux?  Private citizens,
students, nor any company ever commissioned have any intentions of allowing a
single vendor complete access to an entire network/system for one piece of
software, either working in the public interest on GNU software or in the
private sector.  Anyone I know would not use that vendor's products rather
than agree to such a compromise of security.

Also, in the same license, you require us to waive our right to settle any
dispute in jury fashion, and give up our rights to class actions.  Again, I
quote from your license:


14.4  No Jury Trials; No Joinder. Each party hereby
irrevocably waives its right to a jury trial in any legal
action, suit or proceeding between the parties arising out
of or relating to this License.  A copy this License may be
filed with the court as written consent by both parties to a
bench trial.  You agree that any dispute you may have
against Borland cannot be joined with any dispute of any
other person or entity in a lawsuit, arbitration or any other
proceeding, or resolved on a classwide basis.


 If a  number of people decide that your license is unlawful, they cannot
collectively seek remedy. Are you afraid that a jury trial might be costly,
and rule against you?  Jury trials  by definition are "trial by peers."  A
public trial results in many things, including bad public relations.  Bench
trials are commonly used where actions are to be kept confidential.  I
strongly question your motivations on this point,  especially considering
Provision 12.

First, we must forfeit our rights to privacy, and then we must give up our
traditional protections and rights to resolve grievances under the law.  I
believe you are asking too much from programmers and other users, who have
looked to your company for years to provide quality development software on
many platforms.  In creating this license, I feel you have betrayed the trust
that you have engendered over the past years.  Where you once created "no
nonsense" licenses, that made me proud to be a Borland customer, you have now
created a license that I must publicly protest, to inform the public
community of this travesty.  To do this in good conscience, I have taken the
following steps:

1.This letter will not only be posted publicly on my website in the future,
but it will also be sent to any persons/sites/projects, as I see fit via
email.
2.Before this letter is sent, I will destroy all copies of your software in
my possession with the offending license.
3.From this point on, if I download or purchase any software from Borland or
any other company that contains this license or one with  similar provisions,
it will be returned or destroyed immediately.
4.I will inform my colleagues, and clients of this license, and advise them
to avoid any Borland  or any other vendor's software that contains these
provisions, until you and the industry change license and company policies.
5.If I am informed of any previous products on any platform being
retroactively licensed in such a manner, I will discontinue using them
immediately.

I use C++ Builder 3 Professional as my preferred development platform for
Windows, for example.  If this software is retroactively licensed in that
manner, I will seek a new platform.

 The matter has weighted heavily in my decision to purchase new Borland
software.  I will be frank. I never purchase or use any software with that
license, or any with similar provisions from any vendor. Period.  I want to
remain a Borland customer, so I do hope that this matter can be resolved
quickly and amicably.



T.J. Duchene

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