Re: [Fsfe-uk] Cheats!

[Alan Pope]

On 30/01/06, Ian Lynch <address@hidden> wrote:
> On Mon, 2006-01-30 at 19:22 +0000, Alan Pope wrote:
>
> > This certainly happens when customers buy large complex software
> > products which don't work as expected.
>
> Like customs and Excise or the Inland Revenue?

Those were not the specific examples I was thinking of, no. My point
was that the possibility of legal action whether used or even raised
as a possibility is often a big enough stick to beat ISVs with.
Whether that's right or wrong wasn't where I was going.

> Excuse my sceptism.
> So they get a reduction - maybe.

Whether you're sceptic or not I have direct experience of customers
negotiating new contracts including reduced rates for licenses,
discounts for maintenance contracts or otherwise reducing their system
TCO. In my experience the larger companies don't see free/open
software as the first or even second option. Top of the list is "see
how much we can screw the proprietary software vendor down on price"
before anything else.

> Quicker to employ developers than
> start negotiating legal arguments before the supplier decides to fix it
> for a reduced fee that is still > zero fees.
>

As I said the threat is the important thing, not the lengthy legal
case that might follow. It doesn't take that long to negotiate a lower
rate for software licenses if you know what you're doing. Definately
not so long as to make employing a development team to be worthwhile.

Cheers,
Al.