Hi guys, I was board so i edited Linux (Ubuntu) and changed the script. so when you turn on your computer it load like windows 98, you know the clouds as it load up. Well i made it a video of apple, the 1984 video (ON January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like 1984) Long story short i have sold it on eBay for £40, the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars is $79.31. If this is illegal then i will refund the money.
2007-05-28 12:54:35 · 8 answers · asked by Dark_Masters_Revenge 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Programming & Design
First of all, you didn't edit linux. You changed the graphical boot image.
Secondly, it is not illegal to even hack the code.
Third: distributing/selling modified versions of GNU software stipulates that you include the source code.
Of course, in your case you changed nothing in the source code, you merely made a couple of newbie graphical changes and then sold that as a ... what? CD?
Your illegal action was using the Apple video without permission and profiting from it.
2007-05-28 15:56:18 · answer #1 · answered by zhrike 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Linux is open source, so it's perfectly legal to do what you want with it. However, there are developers out there who have taken Linux and built it into their own programming. I've never heard of Ubuntu, but if it's like Red Hat...then that might be copywrited material. In which is case, yes, that's illegal.
Check out the Linux website at www.linux.org.
2007-05-28 20:05:33 · answer #2 · answered by rp_player_girl 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If we split up what you did as:
1. modify Ubuntu - perfectly legal to do, as long as you acknowledge it is derivative work and credit the originators for the ground work.
2. make a parody of Apple's video - legal gray area, you might get away with it few times.
See the point?
2007-05-28 20:19:08 · answer #3 · answered by Andy T 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check out the GNU General Public Licence it can be viewed here:
http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
I would guess you are ok but I couldn't be sure, you have provided a service & someone has paid for it. As long as you don't break the terms of the GPL & supply every thing in accordance with it you should be ok.
2007-05-28 20:36:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, editing Ubuntu or most other Linux editions is completely legal but I dunno if selling them is. You can only 'freely redistribute' them, and not sell them. Still you can contact Canonical for details.
2007-05-28 19:59:05 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
it is illegal to pass it as your own, simply because all you have done is 'built upon' and existing programe
the only way to pass it as yours, is if you built it from scratch
open source just means you can adjust it and use it as you please, it does not mean you can adjust it and then SELL it as your own - although you can sell the modifications
2007-05-30 11:13:38 · answer #6 · answered by glynn.alexander 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
no, it's not, because it's open sourced
2007-05-28 20:01:49 · answer #7 · answered by Ashboo 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i don't think it's illegal but it definatly isn't very nice
2007-05-28 19:57:56 · answer #8 · answered by jellybeanqueen 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋