Comment 190 for bug 269656

I am also a user... actually I'm a paying customer.

Please do not suggest to ignore license agreements.
Please do not suggest to hide EULA's. Consider that users are not necessarily administrators and the EULA is a agreement enforced upon the user.
Licenses are at the core of the freedom provided by Free Software and the reason Ubuntu exist.

The Ubuntu promise

 * Ubuntu will always be free of charge, including enterprise releases and security updates.
 * Ubuntu comes with full commercial support from Canonical and hundreds of companies around the world.
 * Ubuntu includes the very best translations and accessibility infrastructure that the free software community has to offer.
 * Ubuntu CDs contain only free software applications; we encourage you to use free and open source software, improve it and pass it on.

Trademarks are certainly gaining importance in a world of Free Software. I could consider a general statement about copyrights, patents and trademarks after a user logs on to /Ubuntu/ for the first time as a stand in for all relevant packages. The Ubuntu's universe repository should have a no-EULA policy.

After receiving the first my wife's Dell pre-installed / Canonical supported laptop and I started the DVD viewing application, I was presented an EULA. I did not read it. I uninstalled the package. I still use the preinstalled proprietary drivers but I consider that a bug that should be fixed in the future. I'm now considering actually filing it as one of my 10 support issues I've paid for just to communicate that a bit louder.

What makes Firefox special that the MPL/GPL/LGPL Licenses do not suffice. I'd be happy to use iceweasel if the Mozilla Foundation is trying to set a precedent that pave the way for OpenOffice.org, MySQL, Linux (as in the trademarked kernel) ... all started needing EULA's to remain enforcible trademarks. Do not give anyone the opportunity to unsettle users that believe that Ubuntu is allowing more rather than less proprietary software as it develops.

I cannot not consider renewing my Ubuntu subscriptions (yes, I have another one for the family Desktop) or purchasing new ones unless I see stronger activity to increase users freedoms by reduction of restricted drivers and EULA's. (Note that I have not investigated much yet so there may actually be strong activity for preinstalled Ubuntu in this area but if so Canonical is not doing a good job of communicating it.)

Free Software is not about free beer... and I'm doing my best to communicate this and to put my money where my mouth is. I've already got one blind eye (the proprietary drivers to make the hardware on preinstalled Ubuntu work). I want commercial grade desktop support for my wife an family's for Free Software as I just don't have the time to rely on community support in some cases. Please do not alienate me.