Ask HN: Click through licences

[curiousdannii]

Most open source Windows installers will present the licence to you, and make you accept it before installing.

But you can install most software from a Linux distribution without even viewing the licence.

Is either in a better position legally? Can we buck the trend and not make our Windows users click "I accept"?

[josephlord]

What restrictions or enforcements do you want to place on your Windows users? If you are OK with them being bound by laws (copyright principally) then surely you don't need it at all.

I am not a lawyer. You might want to talk to one but know what you want first.

If you want to grant any additional rights you can do it wherever you want and it makes sense with your UI.

If you want to impose restrictions I'm still not sure if a click through is enough but you've got a real chance.

The other common part of a license is a disclaimer of warranty and liability. Unless you software is useful for a dangerous or expensive field (mountain biking, aeroplanes, circuit design....) I would be tempted to take the risk without this.

Are you selling the software or is there another better stage to get license agreement than during the install?

[curiousdannii → josephlord]

We're distributing GPL software for free.

I just saw that the GPL FAQ says users don't need to agree to the terms of the GPL: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#ClickThrough

If they don't need to agree to it, then they don't need to see it! Easy!

[josephlord → curiousdannii]

I think you need to let them know the software is GPL and provide/link the license to let them know their rights but something in an 'About' menu should do although I'm not a GPL expert.

The user doesn't need to agree to it though.