Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!netcom!seitz
From: seitz@netcom.UUCP (Matthew Seitz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: PD for profit (was Re: Atari ST software for sale)
Message-ID: <21933@netcom.UUCP>
Date: 25 Jan 91 21:06:52 GMT
References: <510012@hpbbi4.BBN.HP.COM> <21459@netcom.UUCP> <1885@quando.quantum.de>
Organization: Netcom- The Bay Area's Public Access Unix System {408 241-9760 guest}
Lines: 35

In article <1885@quando.quantum.de> elliott@quando.UUCP (C. David Elliott) writes:
>
>If you have a look at some public domain software and read the documentation
>files and such like, you will usually see the author saying something like
>
>>>	This program is public domain and should not be sold for profit.
>
>To me this means pretty clearly that public domain software shouldn't be sold
>to make a profit (and if you buy any at profit making-prices perhaps you
>should look around a bit better first because - at least in the UK and 
>Germany - many PD libraries exist which are run as non-profit making 
>organisations).
>

As soon as an author says a program is public domain, he loses all control over
it.  The phrase "should not be sold for profit" is just the author's opinion
and carries no legal force.  Whether it carries any moral force is up to the
individual.  If someone wants to sell a public domain program, that's between
him and the buyer, and there's no legal reason he can't do it.

If you really want to insure that a program can't be sold for profit, keep the
copyright.  Then you can place as many or as few restrictions as you want on
it's distribution, including prohibiting sale for profit.
>Dave.
>-- 
>+---------------------+
>|  C. David Elliott   |
>| elliott@quantum.de  |   
>+---------------------+


-- 
					Matthew Seitz
					seitz@netcom.UUCP
					netcom!seitz