Re: IF archive on CD-ROM


23 Oct 1995 22:00:40 +0100

Hello again,

I received several replies by email, most of them with questions
I couldn't answer off-hand. I passed some of the questions on to
Jun Akiyama (akiy@cdrom.com), Technical Supervisor of Walnut Creek
CDROM and in charge of this project, and he told me that he is
reading this group and willing to answer questions himself.

To start a discussion, here are some facts he told me:

- The CD will probably be a multi-platform disc, DOS/Mac or
DOS/Unix, because Macs can't read Unix rockridge discs,
and vice versa.

- It will be an IF-Archive-only discs, not mixed with other
compilations or archives.

- Suggested list price will be $40 (39.95 US Dollars, to be exact),
but street price will be significantly lower. ($25? Who knows the
usual street price of the Walnut Creek CDs?)

- There will be no fee arrangement with the individual authors,
but any person who has a program on a Walnut Creek CDROM is
entitled to receive a free copy of it.

- Walnut Creek is a member of the ASP (Association of Shareware
Professionals) and encourages its customers to register and pay
for shareware.

That's about as much as I know myself. The main problem I see is
software with license terms that forbid distribution for profit.
The authors who contacted me are willing to give permission if this
profit is within reasonable limits, but they expect to be asked
individually. I have no idea which of the 2000+ files contains
which license terms (if any), and I certainly am not eager to find
out myself!

I see and understand both sides of the problem, all the more
I don't know how to solve it. Any ideas?

Please feel free to ask Jun for anything you want to know. I am not
affiliated with Walnut Creek CDROM in any way, and I don't expect
any personal profit from this deal.

Regards
Volker