Warranty

[Forrest J. Cavalier III]

> Sure.  Take a look at http://linuxjournal.com/article.php?sid=6155.
> 

So, how does someone with sense or conscience redistribute software
and offer a warranty of non-infringement for software they acquired
or is a combined work?

Relying on a cascade of breach of warranty lawsuits back through
the distribution chain doesn't sound like a reasonable business
risk.

Is there an insurance industry around this?  (And if there were,
is it as risk averse as the underwriters for all other lines of
insurance have become in the last 13 months?)

I think the best to reasonably expect from a licensor of
software at reasonable, or little. or no cost, is:
   "For materials exclusively authored by Provider, Provider
    warrants that the listed licenses apply to You. Provider
    warrants that all licenses and disclaimers that Provider
    is aware apply to You as of this date are as follows:

        [list here]

   "

And providing the second part of that warranty is a stretch for
most OSS distributors.

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