Why do some sites charge for Open Office?

[Archie Medes]

Welcome beginner. Please answer all of the questions below which may provide information necessary to answer your question.
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Which version of OpenOffice.org are you using? not using it yet - a prospective user
What Operating System (version) are you using? will use at home on MS Windows Vista
What is your question or comment? I have noted that one site charges for an Open office download. (OpenOffice.org-Suite.com) The charge is £5.97 per year for three years, or £8.87per year for one year, or £1.27 per month. Is this an official site? If so, why does it charge? is the software on this site more extensive or better in any way?
Thanks in anticpation
Archie Medes

[Hagar Delest]

They can do it. Perhaps they sell that with a support included.
See these other threads about same topic.

[Villeroy]

What is the site you are referring to? The product is named "OpenOffice.org" and the official site is -- guess what? http://www.openoffice.org
It is perfectly legal and intended to earn money with free software. However, there are too many half-criminals who offer no additional value other than a "download ticket" with an obscure "club membership".
If you need professional support and some non-free extras then you may consider to purchase the commercial version named StarOffice from Sun Microsystems http://www.sun.com/software/star/staroffice/index.jsp

[dougcu1]

I also was charged not by OpenOffice.org but by a website I found after doing a Google search.
It is OpenOffice.org-Suite.com. It came up first, even before OpenOffice.org in Google. So, like a fool I paid too. Actually, they tricked me.
I am not sure if there is any way to stop that kind of thing; If there is, I will be glad to hear it.
I like Open Office Writer itself.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

I am not sure if there is any way to stop that kind of thing.

I am sure that there is not.

[dougcu1]

If those people who are making $$ from selling simple downloads of Open Office get enough people angry I think they will be found out, or if not then at least scared off!