com. Even
if the company decided to open up its e-book content
this one time, it faced the risk of its partners
calling it a breach of contract. Barring a change of
heart in the executive suite or on the part of
Stallman, the decision was up to me. I could use the
interviews and go against my earlier agreement with
Stallman, or I could plead journalistic ethics and back
out of the verbal agreement to do the book.
Following the meeting, my agent and I relocated to a
pub on Third Ave. I used his cell phone to call
Stallman, leaving a message when nobody answered.
Henning left for a moment, giving me time to collect my
thoughts. When he returned, he was holding up the cell phone.
"It's Stallman," Henning said.
The conversation got off badly from the start. I
relayed Tracy's comment about the publisher's
contractual obligations.
"So," Stallman said bluntly. "Why should I give a damn
about their contractual obligations?"
Because asking a major publishing house to risk a legal
battle with its vendors over a 30,000 word e-book is a
tall order, I suggested.
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