Re: GNOME Local user groups



El dv 28 de 07 del 2006 a les 09:45 +0200, en/na Dave Neary va escriure:
> Hi,
> 
> Felipe Barros S. wrote:

> > 3. To resolve in part the expenses of the meetings that we make. We can
> > sell some stuffs like a stickers, mugs, pencils or whatever, using GNOME
> > logos and fonts?
> 
> 1. In general, no. The foundation has a couple of agreements with
> vendors selling GNOME merchandise (and more on the way). Selling GNOME
> merchandise for-profit (even as a fundraiser) is explicitly forbidden in
> the user group agreement I referred to earlier.

Also my personal take, not knowing most of the legal stuff implied.

Conceptually, I think self-sustainability of GNOME user groups must be a
principle stronger than the commitments and dependencies of the GNOME
Foundation with merchandising vendors. In case of conflict we should
look first after the GNOME user groups.

With this concept clear, coherent practices could be:

- If we can have agreements with several vendors because we sell no
exclusivity, we could set something like vendor agreements with GNOME
user groups.

- These agreements would make sense specially in countries with strong
problems of distribution, where buying a t-shirt to an official vendor
would imply paying more for the transport than for the t-shirt itself.
Reasonable vendors should understand this.

- In places with no distribution problems i.e. with a vendor and a user
group in the same country we would enforce coordination instead,
requesting vendors to offer special prices to user groups. Reasonable
vendors should be interested on this deal with a good customer.

- Note that an agreement with the GNOME Foundation implies that the user
group has a legal entity. This makes sense: a group wanting to move
money needs to account their finances legally. This is what i.e. GNOME
Hispano is doing. The same issue applies if you want to get money from
sponsors, apply to public funds, and so on. If you don't want to go
through the process of creating an association you probably don't want
to go either through the process of getting serious on fundraising.

- If you are out of the main GNOME distribution channels, your group has
no legal entity and you still want to raise some money selling GNOME
merchandising... as Dave says we can't really stop you from doing this.
Just make sure what you do is fully compliant to the first principle of
GNOME user group self-sustainability. Don't do anything that could upset
the GNOME Foundation (community or board) and, please, don't get in
competition with our vendors. 

If the latter is your case don't except much more official help from
us...  but bring some t-shirts to the next GUADEC / GNOME event because
we GNOME merchandise collectors will pay for them as anybody else.   ;)

-- 
Quim Gil /// http://desdeamericaconamor.org | http://guadec.org

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