商业信息

Terms

Ubuntu is a free and open source platform. Commercial engagements between Canonical and partners shipping Ubuntu products cover trademarks, legal assurance, engineering engagements, certification, update management, online services. In addition, third-party components for media in particular are often encumbered by patent and licensing restrictions.

Companies wishing to distribute an Ubuntu-branded commercial device pay a per unit service fee covering the engineering, maintenance, quality assurance, third-party licensing fees and Canonical consulting costs. Engagements are structured with some NRE, baseline volume commitments, and volume-based pricing for service fees.

Canonical shares post-purchase services revenue from the sale of content, applications and subscriptions through Ubuntu TV products with OEM’s and distribution / channel partners.

Engineering

Ubuntu TV is a complete solution for ODMs. Engagement terms cover component and system enablement and certification. Canonical coordinates with component manufacturers to develop, integrate or update drivers, integrate third-party commercial software and customise Ubuntu to meet our customer-specific needs.

Canonical engineering capacity is distributed globally, with a particular focus on Taipei for device-oriented engagements. Customer engagements can be led from the US, Europe or Asia, with local teams responsible for customer-facing engagements.

Maintenance

Modern connected device strategies emphasise the ability to update and upgrade software in-place, often automatically. This enables a long-term relationship between the hardware vendor and their customers, with ever-increasing value propositions for customers who want the latest experiences and services on existing hardware.

The ability to update your devices is central to your security and long-term competitiveness. Canonical takes care of all security and critical bug fixes to the base platform offering and provides the infrastructure to support your update management strategy. Ubuntu has a world-class track record maintaining a secure and stable operating system in the PC sector, and we bring this expertise to customers’ products.

Third-party license fees

Canonical has agreements in place with third parties and industry organisations to include codecs for common media formats. In addition, we manage access fees for services that provide channel listings or additional information on the content being viewed. Commercial engagements around Ubuntu devices with Canonical cover these fees and related items, such as subscriptions, royalty collection fees and regulatory broadcast fees.

Ubuntu TV licensing

Components for Ubuntu TV produced by Canonical are generally licensed under the GPLv3 or LGPLv3. Alternative licensing is available on the proviso that Canonical retains discretionary rights to include work done in the public versions of Unity and Ubuntu.