DPE for Linux still lawful?
That question really divides into two cases, distributors who secured a specific grant of redistribution rights from Corel and those who didn’t. If you examine WP 8.0 DPE copies downloaded from http://linux.corel.com/products /linuxproducts_wp8_downloadlinks.htm (that site having been decommissioned as of Feb. 26, 2003) and elsewhere (including CD-ROM WP 8 copies, boxed-set versions of SuSE Linux through 6.1, Caldera Open Linux 2.3, older boxed sets of Linux-Mandrake etc.), you’ll notice its licence omits the right to redistribute, and says the recipient’s licence is non-transferable. Copyright law reserves distribution rights to a work’s copyright owner, by default. So, strictly speaking, redistributing WP 8.0 DPE without explicit permission violates Corel’s copyright. (I am not a lawyer. This FAQ is not legal advice.) Fortunately, Corel seems either tolerant or apathetic. (Pick one.) Also, companies like Edmund Enterprises and Linux Central may have permission memos from Corel Legal
