Ubuntu lovers slap Canonical over Firefox EULA

'WTF?'

By Kelly Fiveash • Get more from this author

Posted in Software & Security, 15th September 2008 15:27 GMT

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Ubuntu users are up in arms at Canonical after it added a Firefox 3.0.2 end user license agreement (EULA) to its upcoming release, Intrepid Ibex, without first seeking consent from openistas.

Canonical, Ubuntu's commercial sponsor, has admitted that it added the EULA following a request from Mozilla Corp, the firm behind the popular open source web browser.

Founder of the Ubuntu distro Mark Shuttleworth even took time out to leave a comment on launchpad.net - a cross-project website for tracking bugs in free software - where the grumbles from freetards complaining about the inclusion of the license originated.

He said that Mozilla required the EULA to be added to allow Canonical to continue to call the browser Firefox.

Shuttleworth added that it was fair enough that Mozilla wanted people to adhere to its trademark guidelines, before taking something of a limp swipe at the outfit:

“I would not consider an EULA as a best practice. It's unfortunate that Mozilla feels this is absolutely necessary, but they do, and none of us are in a position to be experts about the legal constraints which Mozilla feels apply to them,” he said.

“We had extensive conversations with Mozilla in order to find the best possible way of meeting their requirements while preserving the flow of use of the system for our users.”

Shuttleworth added that Ubuntu fans should make “constructive suggestions” rather than saying “WTF?” about how Canonical could “meet Mozilla's requirements while improving the user experience”. ®

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