A link to this Amazon site led me to this. Someone’s selling the GIMP for $19 lifetime. What a freaking joke. If I overstepped, the ops can delete this post; just wanted to share my disdain.
If I had an active Amazon account I’d leave a review stating that the software is free to download, no purchase required.
But isn’t there a section in the terms of use prohibiting the distribution of the package for profit?
Only thing I can think of that might justify selling this is they supposedly include PDF files which I’m assuming are tutorials. Even so, sort of feels icky to sell Open Source software unless such funds actually go to the GIMP developers. I seriously doubt this is the case, sadly. 
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No, its one of the way FOSS projects can actually make money and still be FOSS. That’s why programs are in the microsoft store.
Yes this is legal. The party only violates the terms if they sell it, then refuse to give the source code when requested.
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Just hope these guys are legit, PD; weird how it showed up on my MSM feed page, though. I knew I shouldn’t have clicked and then got hyped up. lol
Nice, but I am saving up for Darktable instead.
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I tried to give feedback on the product page. I tried to contact Amazon that there was a scam, but good luck trying to do that. After numerous clicks which kept bring me back to the same pages I couldn’t complain to Amazon. Not impressed.
You can contact Amazon via a chat. It does not easily offer the option but you can get there with 5–6 clicks if I remember correctly.
That said, I think this is perfectly legal and does not meet the criteria of a scam, so I am not sure it is a violation of Amazon’s terms either. As @paperdigits pointed out above, the GPL explicitly allows this. The FSF has a page about it, it is perfectly fine with them.
I know it feels weird, but it has been designed into the system from the very, very beginning, in the days of slow or nonexistent internet connections, when people used to buy CDs stuffed with software. It is just overpricing, but a buyer should perform due diligence in any case. AFAIK, Amazon also has a generous return policy, so someone who finds out about Gimp being freely available ex post can just get their money back.
But very disappointing how hard it is to get an AI chat from a company so entrenched in the AI world. A definite negative for a regular Amazon cu#tomer (forum forbids the correct spelling of that word…Hmm).
I usually deal with Amazon Germany, but I always have been able to get through to a person. They are in fact very nice, whenever I have a (valid) complaint they just give me a 10 euro coupon. Maybe it is different in the US?
That’s from the time when there was a flood of cu$tomer a1rline scammers with phone numbers
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This is not the first time I have heard of FOSS software being offered for sale. I don’t remember for GIMP or darktable, but I have certainly seen warnings on FOSS homepages: “Do not pay for our software: get it free directly from us.” Also that that is the only way to know that you are getting the software, the true software, and nothing but the software: buying the binaries from an unknown source might be unwise in more ways than just wasting money.
Oh! it just occurred to me that Linux itself is for sale. For customers that want contractual/commercial support/service levels.
(We could go Olde-English-font and use cuftomer! 
)
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I found another seller, in Amazon UK, selling Gimp 2026 (?) and LibreOffice (among others). If it’s not illegal, it’s extremely dodgy, and frankly, it should be illegal because it’s clearly deceptive in not disclosing that it’s free software, that the seller is packaging something which freely available, developed by someone else, and taking the money.
There are reviews which look authentic, with some people having found out too late that the application was freely available online (mostly quite obviously elderly people).
P.S.:
I have just visited the Gimp website and read the long section Selling GIMP which clearly acknowledges that this is a well known fact and makes me think that the argument is maybe considered closed and well explained. Maybe it has been established that, being GPL-licensed software, nothing can be done to prevent this.
But quite honestly? If I found out that someone is making money from a product on which I have worked for years, and decided to offer for free and open source, and they’re doing it without offering a substantial added value, and clearly deceiving their customers, I’d be extremely annoyed.
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Send me $10 and I’ll send you a download link.
Whoops, I just did. Just another example of why I am not wealthy 
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Well it does come on a thumb drive, that’s worth at least $1.99…
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It might not be write-protected either!
Whenever I get an MRI or X-ray, the technician gives me the results on a 1Gb thumb drive (at no extra cost). I have now 4 of those, I get the impression that they can be ordered in bulk for really cheap (the ones I get have the logo of the health center).
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I went ahead and offered a 1-star review and telling people where they can download the software for free.
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I did the same the other day and the review is now live and online
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