Re: Where The *** is the Informix Developer Edition V11 Download?

Madison Pruet wrote:
DA Morgan wrote:
Madison Pruet wrote:
DA Morgan wrote:
InDeep wrote:

I'm not enraged, just baffled beyond belief that nobody else has even commented or tried to get this fixed.

Not intending to be the gadfly but I think rather obviously because is
of so little interest no one really much cares.

Making something available only to the existing customer base
("enter your IBM ID") is not the way to expand marketshare.

This becomes even more poignant when one considers that the primary
competitor allows anyone to download theirs for free. No ID required,
no marketing questions, no hassles.


Well maybe. But according to the license agreement for the down loaded Oracle server, it can only be used to create an initial single prototype of any application. It can not be used for any other purposes. That includes learning about the product, teaching the product to anyone else, patching any prototype, etc.

To quote the license agreement that Oracle uses for their download...

"LICENSE RIGHTS We grant you a nonexclusive, nontransferable limited license to use the program only for the purpose of developing a single prototype of your application, and not for any other purpose."

Looks like you can't even use the downloaded engine to learn about the engine without breaking the license that was agreed to. Seems rather restrictive to me.

XE is available for free and can be put to use commercially if one
wishes. And the prototype to which you refer is a user defined
prototype. You might choose, if you wish, to prototype eBay or
Amazon.com.

Well - not totally true. The OTN Developer License Terms for Oracle Database Express Edition states.. "Note: You are bound by the Oracle Technology Network ("OTN") License Agreement terms." and the above quote is from that document. So the way the license is worded, the XE License is more restrictive than the enterprise license because it states that all of the restrictions of the enterprise down load apply to the XE as well.

Also not true about the prototype. By wording it to state "single prototype of an application" that means that it does not apply to a system, only to an application. Also, it is only allowable to be used by a single prototype, which legally means that no refinements of the prototype is allowed.


That is substantially different from limiting the download to only
your current customer base.

Again not true. You do not have to be a customer to download. You do have to register, but you do not have to be a customer.

I don't know what you're reading but here's the reality and the link:
http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/products/database/xe/htdocs/102xelinsoft.html

License Rights
We grant you a nonexclusive, nontransferable limited license to use the programs for: (a) purposes of developing, prototyping and running your applications for your own internal data processing operations;

Meaning you can run it in production.

(b) you may also distribute the programs with your applications;

Self explanatory

(c) you may use the programs to provide third party demonstrations and training;

Again self-explanatory

and d) you may copy and distribute the programs to your licensees provided that each such licensee agrees to the terms of this Agreement.

Again no ambiguity here either.
--
Daniel A. Morgan
University of Washington
damorgan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (replace x with u to respond)
.