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From: Elmo on 5 Mar 2010 20:07
I'm thinking of starting a business installing legitimate for-personal-use
freeware for a fee - is that legal to charge a fee to install freeware?

What I'm thinking is visiting a client and charging maybe $25 an hour to
set up their computer for whatever they need.

For example, if they need a photo editor, I'll put Irfanview & Fastone.
If they need encryption, I'll install PGP Desktop.
If they need a PDF creator, I'll install CutePDF.
And so on.

In addition, I'll teach them how to use the software as part of the hourly
fee. I'm thinking it would take two to three hours to set them up if I keep
the software on a flash drive.

Any ideas on the feasiblity of charging to install freeware?

From: David H. Lipman on 5 Mar 2010 20:27
From: "Elmo" <dcdraftworks(a)Use-Author-Supplied-Address.invalid>

| I'm thinking of starting a business installing legitimate for-personal-use
| freeware for a fee - is that legal to charge a fee to install freeware?

| What I'm thinking is visiting a client and charging maybe $25 an hour to
| set up their computer for whatever they need.

| For example, if they need a photo editor, I'll put Irfanview & Fastone.
| If they need encryption, I'll install PGP Desktop.
| If they need a PDF creator, I'll install CutePDF.
| And so on.

| In addition, I'll teach them how to use the software as part of the hourly
| fee. I'm thinking it would take two to three hours to set them up if I keep
| the software on a flash drive.

| Any ideas on the feasiblity of charging to install freeware?


If you are NOT charging for the software and you are only getting paid for your time,
there is no issue.

--
Dave
http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html
Multi-AV - http://www.pctipp.ch/downloads/dl/35905.asp


From: za kAT on 5 Mar 2010 21:09
On Sat, 6 Mar 2010 01:07:19 +0000 (UTC), Elmo wrote:

> I'm thinking of starting a business installing legitimate for-personal-use
> freeware for a fee - is that legal to charge a fee to install freeware?
>
> What I'm thinking is visiting a client and charging maybe $25 an hour to
> set up their computer for whatever they need.
>
> For example, if they need a photo editor, I'll put Irfanview & Fastone.
> If they need encryption, I'll install PGP Desktop.
> If they need a PDF creator, I'll install CutePDF.
> And so on.
>
> In addition, I'll teach them how to use the software as part of the hourly
> fee. I'm thinking it would take two to three hours to set them up if I keep
> the software on a flash drive.
>
> Any ideas on the feasiblity of charging to install freeware?

My thoughts are...

Technically you have an issue with the flash drive idea. Some freeware
licences don't allow redistribution, so I think to comply with those
licences you need to download the application at the client site.

Secondly, I would make sure that any literature makes it plain you are not
charging for the software. I would also word your invoices something like
'IT support 3 hrs @ $25 per hr'. Not 'Software install $75'.

--
zakAT(a)pooh.the.cat
From: HeyBub on 5 Mar 2010 21:38
Elmo wrote:
> I'm thinking of starting a business installing legitimate
> for-personal-use freeware for a fee - is that legal to charge a fee
> to install freeware?
>
> What I'm thinking is visiting a client and charging maybe $25 an hour
> to set up their computer for whatever they need.
>
> For example, if they need a photo editor, I'll put Irfanview &
> Fastone.
> If they need encryption, I'll install PGP Desktop.
> If they need a PDF creator, I'll install CutePDF.
> And so on.
>
> In addition, I'll teach them how to use the software as part of the
> hourly fee. I'm thinking it would take two to three hours to set them
> up if I keep the software on a flash drive.
>
> Any ideas on the feasiblity of charging to install freeware?

You won't be doing it very long at $25/hr.


From: Craig on 5 Mar 2010 22:10
On 03/05/2010 05:07 PM, Elmo wrote:
> I'm thinking of starting a business installing legitimate for-personal-use
> freeware for a fee - is that legal to charge a fee to install freeware?
>
....
> Any ideas on the feasiblity of charging to install freeware?

If I were you, I'd read the licenses for each.

F/OSS has settled into pretty straightforward templates (GPL, LGPL, new
BSD, etc) and it's clear what you can charge for. But for "freeware,"
that is, licenses written in some cases entirely by the developer, they
can truly go all over the map. They require more scrutiny.

Let the licensing be your guide(tm).

--
-Craig
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