1)
The issue is about using the trademark.
You can't use the trademark "Ubuntu" on your website without being a partner.
To become a partner you have to pay. For Ovh it's 1Me/year.
2)
Once you are a partner, you are on this page:
http://partners.ubuntu.com/find-a-partner
Once you are a partner, you can copy the images and use them to setup automaticly a VM with saying "It's Ubuntu".
3)
If not, you can't copy the images. You can't annonce you propose Ubuntu.
Your customers are still able to download the images from Ubuntu.com and setup a VM with.
But you can't do that for your customers since you can't use the trademark.
4)
Google didn't propose Ubuntu during the years. Then they pay.
The same for all others: AWS, Dreamhost, Azure, etc
Now, Ovh and Digital Ocean have to decide if they will pay or not.
and in 3 months or more, they will contact the others.
5)
Ovh has no issue to be a partner and sponsor Ubuntu like they sponsor Letsencrypt, Grsecurity, and others.
Just in this case, we don't talk about helping Ubuntu. It's just business. 1Me/year it's business.
That's why Ovh asks theirs customers if they are want to pay or they don't want.
There is no additional value. It just allows you to get VM with Ubuntu in 30 seconds like today.
If they don't want to pay, the customers will have to download the Ubuntu's image and setup it himself: 9-10 min
Or setup Debian, Fedora, OpenSuse or others > 60 distributions
Ovh can rename "Ubuntu" to "Freedom" and propose "Freedom" distribution.
But they can't announce they propose Ubuntu.
2) Once you are a partner, you are on this page: http://partners.ubuntu.com/find-a-partner Once you are a partner, you can copy the images and use them to setup automaticly a VM with saying "It's Ubuntu".
3) If not, you can't copy the images. You can't annonce you propose Ubuntu. Your customers are still able to download the images from Ubuntu.com and setup a VM with. But you can't do that for your customers since you can't use the trademark.
4) Google didn't propose Ubuntu during the years. Then they pay. The same for all others: AWS, Dreamhost, Azure, etc Now, Ovh and Digital Ocean have to decide if they will pay or not. and in 3 months or more, they will contact the others.
5) Ovh has no issue to be a partner and sponsor Ubuntu like they sponsor Letsencrypt, Grsecurity, and others. Just in this case, we don't talk about helping Ubuntu. It's just business. 1Me/year it's business. That's why Ovh asks theirs customers if they are want to pay or they don't want. There is no additional value. It just allows you to get VM with Ubuntu in 30 seconds like today. If they don't want to pay, the customers will have to download the Ubuntu's image and setup it himself: 9-10 min Or setup Debian, Fedora, OpenSuse or others > 60 distributions Ovh can rename "Ubuntu" to "Freedom" and propose "Freedom" distribution. But they can't announce they propose Ubuntu.