fighting the license agreement
Dear reader,
This is a little blog, telling a story. Telling a story about a frustrated administrator. My story began with an interesting badge in my SCN Profile Page.
Hmmmm SAP Lumira what’s that? I jumped to the SAP Lumira page and what I saw was very interesting! A new visualization tool for SAP BO. In the FAQ I read: “no costs”, huhaaa great. A quick and uncritical decision process rushed through my brain.
I WANNA SEE IT!!!
I downloaded the free trial version. I started the setup.exe and a screen with the license agreement appeared. I read the license agreement and a big Hmmmmm came out of my lips. Yes I know a usual user don’t read texts in dialogs. He always pushes the Yes or Next button. But I’m an administrator. I always read dialogs (most of it)! And after the first tree sentences I was confused. I didn’t understand what they want to tell me. Am I allowed to use it or not? After reading the whole text I understood. I have to be a lawyer to understand the license agreement. I acted like I always do when I have to decide if I spend my own money to s.th. or not.
If I don’t understand it, I don’t do it.
Sorry SAP
Hi Willi,
I have had the same frustration with some of the older SAP products and their licences, even for the developer downloads; Woul;d you be able to drop in a screenshot of the text and tell us what particulkarly concerns you ?
Sometimes (not all the time), SAP have been willing to move on these kinds of things if they see merit in your arguments 🙂
hth
Hi Martin,
sorry but I can't insert screenshots. The button is grey. But I can copy the sentences.
There are a lot of sentence I don't understand. Two of them are:
Nr. 1
SAP grants you a nonexclusive and limited license to use the Software products and functionalities for which you have paid the applicable fees solely for your internal business purposes and in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
What means: "for which you have paid the applicable fees" ? Do I have to pay s.th. or not?
Nr. 2
You may install and use the Software only in the configuration and for the number of licenses acquired by you.
"number of licenses acquired by you" sounds strange for a free software.
And why can't I find the words "free" or "trial" in the license agreement?
Is it really necessary that the license agreement is 23 pages long for a free trial
version?
Best regards
Willi Eimler
meanwhile it should actually be "completely" free if you use it on flat files only 😉
(should be enough for "playing" & "testing")
I confess: I didn't read the license until its end (I'm not an administrator). I used, loved and forgot it in the 31st day.
We need more people giving its own opinion here at SCN. That's why for me this blog is 5 stars.
Thanx!