[CLUE-Talk] HP to Protect Customers from Linux Claims

[Dennis J Perkins]

> On Wed, Sep 24, 2003 at 09:20:57PM +0000, Dennis J Perkins wrote:
> > Define indemnity.  Will a court and judge agree with your definition of 
> > indemnity or agree with the customer who is suing you over it?
> 
> Hmm, I don't think I made my point very clear.  I'm not saying that
> I think indemnity is right or wrong.  I'm saying that if the market
> demands indemnity, then somebody should (and did) stand up and offer it.
> Not because it's right or wrong, but because that's what the market
> demands.  This is why the RIAA won't stop filesharing...the market demands
> it.
> 
> (Please don't take this argument to it's ridiculous extremes...I realize
> that even thought the market seems to demand Britney Spears and InSync,
> nobody should have ever actually stepped in to fill that demand.)
> 
> So to answer your question, I suppose if I were running HP, I'd get a bunch
> of bean-counters to tell me where on the indemnity scale we could offer
> it, and still maintain a reasonable amount of risk.  On the far left, you
> have complete indemnification--HP will provide you with a lawyer and soak
> up any cost you would have incurred.  On the far right, HP will refund
> whatever you paid for the copy of Linux you bought from them, and no more.
> Somewhere in between the two extremes is the point where indemnification
> is worth the risk and still makes customers happy.
> 
> (For the record, I don't really care if HP offers indemnity.  SCO didn't
> change my Linux plans one iota, and HP's indemnity doesn't affect me at
> all, since I don't run any HP servers or have any HP support contracts.)
> 
> > For that matter, can you offer indemnity
> > for something you don't produce?  Aren't they simply installing another
> > company's product?
> 
> Sure, why not?  It's basically insurance.  State Farm doesn't manufacture
> my car, but they'll go to court for me if they need to, even if it's
> Ford's fault.
> 
> -k
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You were clear enough.  These were questions that I had when I read the article.
I think I misphrased one of my questions tho.  Why offer indemnity for 
something you don't produce?  Does HP offer Linux?  I guess it is great 
marketing to attract people who don't understand what is happening.