Newsgroups: comp.os.minix Path: utzoo!henry From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) Subject: Re: Selling of free software Message-ID: <1990Aug11.234423.3307@zoo.toronto.edu> Organization: U of Toronto Zoology References: <6--4A8C@xds13.ferranti.com> <1990Aug8.173146.1206@santra.uucp> <7268@star.cs.vu.nl> <1990Aug10.170521.9435@zoo.toronto.edu> <9849@galapas.ai.mit.edu> Date: Sat, 11 Aug 90 23:44:23 GMT In article <9849@galapas.ai.mit.edu> jla@ai.mit.edu (Joseph Arceneaux) writes: >> (I do >>not recommend the GNU copyleft, which is much more restrictive, unless you >>really support the Cult of Free Software. Many people find it legally >>difficult or impossible to use copylefted software.) > >I recomend using Copyleft if you intend to make a contribution of your >code to society. If your intent is indeed to benefit others with your >program, then Copyleft will ensure that no one can eventually prohibit >some group from thus benefitting. The question here is not whether you want to "benefit others", because releasing good software will do that regardless of which licensing policy you choose. The underlying issue is how concerned you are about others who do not share your altruistic views, and whether you feel so strongly about what they might do that you are willing to prohibit use of your software by people who won't or can't promise to be good. Not everyone who is constrained by his company's lawyers is a bad guy, and insisting on a promise of good behavior will deny the benefits of your software to many people. Assorted variants of my software, notably my regular-expression package, appear in a variety of commercial no-sources-available software products. This does not bother me; indeed, it pleases me, because the people who buy and use that software are getting a better product this way. -- It is not possible to both understand | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology and appreciate Intel CPUs. -D.Wolfskill| henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry