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Releasing VM for commercial use

Posted: 4. Oct 2017, 13:49
by mandar2601
I have installed Ubuntu in Virtual box and installed my web application based on apache-mysql-php.
Can I export VM in OVA format and distribute it commercially? Or is there any obligation for that?

Re: Releasing VM for commercial use

Posted: 4. Oct 2017, 17:15
by socratis
IANAL, but I don't remember any rules being imposed over your own virtual machines and what you do with them. But, as I said IANAL.

Re: Releasing VM for commercial use

Posted: 28. Oct 2017, 05:13
by ApothLab
mandar2601 wrote:I have installed Ubuntu in Virtual box and installed my web application based on apache-mysql-php.
Can I export VM in OVA format and distribute it commercially? Or is there any obligation for that?
Seems pretty on the edge here of your "VM rights", I suppose there's no restriction so why not!

Re: Releasing VM for commercial use

Posted: 28. Oct 2017, 10:55
by socratis
I should mention that the license has changed with the release of VirtualBox 5.1.30 and 5.2.0, regarding the Extension Pack. See "PUEL no longer allowing commercial use with VB extension pack 5.1.30". So, if your OVA is using any features that depend on the Ext. Pack, I would talk to a software layer...

Re: Releasing VM for commercial use

Posted: 2. Nov 2017, 12:50
by michaln
Oracle does not own your VMs. VM configuration etc. is your own data. That of course does not say anything about who might or might not own the VM content.

The Extension Pack licensing is also unrelated because it only applies to the Extension Pack itself, not to imported/exported/running VMs.

Re: Releasing VM for commercial use

Posted: 2. Nov 2017, 14:19
by socratis
Hmm... So, if I start "selling" a VM that requires the existence of the ExtPack, wouldn't the ExtPack be used for non-personal, but for commercial purposes, at least indirectly? That's how I understand it. But, I'm just a poor Chem. Engineer, not a lawyer ;)

Re: Releasing VM for commercial use

Posted: 2. Nov 2017, 14:22
by mpack
I'd have thought that as long as you don't copy any VirtualBox software, you can't be in copyright violation.