Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!iuvax!bsu-cs!dhesi
From: dhesi@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Rahul Dhesi)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Commercial software in comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Message-ID: <6191@bsu-cs.UUCP>
Date: 17 Mar 89 18:14:10 GMT
Sender: dhesi@bsu-cs.UUCP
Reply-To: Rahul Dhesi <dhesi@bsu-cs.bsu.edu>
Organization: CS Dept, Ball St U, Muncie, Indiana
Lines: 49

As moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc I am supposed to draw the line
somewhere between what is suitable for posting and what is not.

I am intending to draw the line between commercial software and free
software as follows:

Ok to post:       Software that does not impose a legal
                  requirement on the user to pay for it.

Not OK to post:   Software that does impose a legal
                  requirement on the user to pay for it.

Sample license (call this example A), not OK to post:

     "If you use this program beyond a trial period you are required 
      to pay $x."

Sample license (example B), OK to post:

     "If you find this software useful, a payment of $x is requested."

Suppose we post software with a license like example A.  A single
posting might result in perhaps 10 or 15 registrations.  In effect we
have provided the software author with 10,000 copies of free
advertising, for the sake of 10 or 15 sales.  There may be hundreds of
others using it, but they are using it illegally, and such illegal use
is a factor against the posting, not in favor of it.

Consider example B.  Even if that posting too yields 10 or 15
registrations, there may be hundreds of others using it without
payment.  Since such use is not illegal, it is a factor in favor of the
posting.

Note that I don't care about a moral stand, e.g. "you *should* pay for
it if you use it...if you do, everyone will benefit etc."  That is a
philosophical statement, not a legal requirement.  It is outside the
scope of my moderator's duty to judge the validity of such a moral
stand or dictate the enforcement of it.  Therefore, no matter how
strong the moral statement, it doesn't matter, so long as it is not
also a legal statement.

This is tentative policy.  Comments are welcome.  I suggest brief
comments with a minimum of quoted material.  Email or post as you
consider appropriate.  If I get too many emailed comments I may not be
able to reply individually but I will read all and file the good ones
for future reference.
--
Rahul Dhesi         UUCP:  <backbones>!{iuvax,pur-ee}!bsu-cs!dhesi
                    ARPA:  dhesi@bsu-cs.bsu.edu