Path: utzoo!telly!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!image.soe.clarkson.edu!news From: nelson@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Russ Nelson) Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss Subject: Re: Copyleftability Message-ID: Date: 19 Dec 89 02:24:31 GMT References: <8255@stiatl.UUCP> Sender: news@sun.soe.clarkson.edu Reply-To: nelson@clutx.clarkson.edu Organization: Clarkson University, Potsdam NY Lines: 30 In-reply-to: meo@stiatl.UUCP's message of 18 Dec 89 23:49:12 GMT In article <8255@stiatl.UUCP> meo@stiatl.UUCP (Miles O'Neal) writes: If I use the gnu compiler, and link to the gnu compiler, then if I spend a year of effort to write something, I have no way of ever making a cent off of that piece of software. Nonsense! The only "right" you are lacking is the legal right to restrict people from copying your software. *You* interpret this to mean that you then have no way to make money. There is indeed a way to make money off of Copylefted software. You find a user group whose members need a particular program that you are capable of writing. The user group pays you your money and you write the program. They get a useful program that they can give to their friends, family, and whoever else they want. And you get a risk-free way to earn XX amount of dollars. You *know* that you will make money off of the program, and you even know how much. As I see it, what *you* want is the right to make an unlimited amount of money off of your program. -- --russ (nelson@clutx [.bitnet | .clarkson.edu]) Russ.Nelson@$315.268.6667 Live up to the light thou hast, and more will be granted thee. A recession now appears more than 2 years away -- John D. Mathon, 4 Oct 1989. I think killing is value-neutral in and of itself. -- Gary Strand, 8 Nov 1989. Liberals run this country, by and large. -- Clayton Cramer, 20 Nov 1989. Shut up and mind your Canadian business, you meddlesome foreigner. -- TK, 23 N.