It appears one can download OS 9 for free from here:

About NetBoot 9

This software is identical to the NetBoot for Mac OS 9 software included with Mac OS X Server 10.2 (Jaguar).


Quite an update from the OS 7.x Apple's been offering for download for a while.

I'd just been thinking this week that if, as Apple claims, Classic (OS 9 and before) is truly dead, why not offer it as a download? Granted it may eat a touch into sales to people running OSes that are even earlier, but, um, what percentage of potential Mac buyers is that, really? By [Apple's] definition, all those people are dead computer users anyhow.