Xref: utzoo gnu.misc.discuss:647 alt.religion.computers:1213
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!sunybcs!nsscb!njc
From: njc@nsscb.UUCP (Neil Cherry)
Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss,alt.religion.computers
Subject: Re: Disinfecting the GNU Public Virus...er...License
Message-ID: <1181@nsscb.UUCP>
Date: 22 Dec 89 14:50:35 GMT
References: <4&VSZ:@splut.conmicro.com> <1989Dec20.170048.14251@relay.nswc.navy.mil> <62@zds-ux.UUCP> <4ZYPWMC00W0T5LNvBh@andrew.cmu.edu>
Reply-To: njc@nsscb.UUCP (Neil Cherry (STARGRP))
Organization: AT&T NSSC  S. Plainfield, NJ
Lines: 13

I'll keep this short and sweet. In simple terms if I write a program and
release it to "the public domain" I don't want another software company to come
along and take that software and sell it, unless they give me some money for my
work. But I also don't want some PD user not to have availability to this
software. And the final word in paranoa (SP?) I worry that I might write a
software package that really is great (well maybe in my dreams), I release it
to the PD, another user gobles it up, fixes some bugs and sells it on the open
market claiming it as his own. I, at the same time, do some clean up and also
try to make some money off my endever. But I get sued for releasing his package
Now this may never happen but it could in worse case. The industry will always
need to sell software for it to keep itself working. But the PD writters must
have a LEGAL (ie. with lawyer stuff etal.) way of protecting themselves.
NJC