Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!ginosko!rex!ukma!gatech!mcnc!decvax!ima!cfisun!eric
From: eric@cfi.COM (eric)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: Questions about "Free Software Foundation" (long)
Message-ID: <608@venus.UUCP>
Date: 4 Oct 89 00:42:43 GMT
References: <6602@thor.acc.stolaf.edu> <6590269@hplsla.HP.COM>
Reply-To: eric@venus.UUCP (Eric Read -CFI-)
Distribution: na
Organization: Consumer Financial Institute, Waltham, Mass.
Lines: 25

In article <6590269@hplsla.HP.COM> jima@hplsla.HP.COM (Jim Adcock) writes:
>eric@cfi.COM (Eric Read) writes (I think, attribution missing)
>> Stallman has said that he is perfectly happy to have his work used for
>> commercial purposes.  The copyleft does not prevent you from using it
>> for any commercial product or service.  You "just" have to make your
>> source available to the customer.
>
>People don't seem to realize that these are two seperate businesses.
>Selling software, and selling source.  When you sell source, you are really
>in the service business of hand-holding, writing documentation, running
>courses on how to port the software etc.  It's not [necessarily] that

Whoa!  Where did you find this in the GNU license??

Just do what the FSF does - ship them a valid source tape, cash
their check, and show them the door.

If they want services, tell them there are plenty of consultants around.
As long as it compiles to the same binary you sold them, your obligation is met.

-- 
  Eric Read                     ` | '       harvard!cfisun!eric
  Price Waterhouse / CFI        --*--       (617) 899-6500
  51 Sawyer Rd.                 ' | `       WUTFOTYATEOTW
  Waltham, MA  02154