Re: GNOME Local user groups

["Felipe Barros S." <felipe linuxlab cl>]

Quim Gil wrote:
> 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.
> 

It's could help to user groups to be self-sustainable and avoid a
financial dependency of the foundation or the members directly.

> - 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.
> 

Perhaps something like a reseller could help, Buy from Chile something
from USA or Europe is very expensive and slow.

> - 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. 
> 

Of course not

> 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.   ;)
> 

:)

-- 
Felipe

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