Pirate analogy is a different issue

Post #218,294 by ChrisR 8/8/05 10:42:16 PM Reply	Pirate analogy is a different issue It's a common argument against the idea of intellectual property. The argument says that if I "pirate" a copy of your software, I have not taken property away from you - you still have the software. In the same token, if I modify GPL software and start making money from it, I have not taken away the source code from you. My making money from your software does not amount to theft since you still have the source. You may not be able to take advantage of my improvements, but if I wasn't afforded the chance to make money, there'd be no improvements to be redistributed. Anyhow, such arguments don't cut much in the GNU world - which is always odd since they don't believe in IP rights. Anyhow, it's a dead end. As for why business uses GPL software, the question is a bit more complicated. Some companies would like to make refinements to the software and sell those refinements. Other businesses are only in the business of changing the code for in-house use. And then there are some that try to blend these - ASP sorts of models - where the software is kept in-house but is sold as a service. Finally, some businesses participate fully in GPL software, giving back all modifications to the community - akin to a loss-leader strategy. I would note that FSF has been vocally opposed to open source licenses that require those that modify the software to make their contributions publically available (even for in-house apps). The JCP being one they have argued against since it requires that you make all modifications available to Sun - Stallman has gone on record saying that this violates the concept of Free Software (though he has many other complaints about JCP that go beyond this one clause). Another license that's been criticized by FSF is the one attached to Squeak, which has a similar clause, though that project is not attached to a corporate entitity. Personally, I think it's a balancing act that must be made. Lest FSF forget, the purpose of free software is not to prevent others from using or making money off of source code. The purpose is to make as much software available under the GNU terms as possible - and to make that free software as splendid as possible - and to make it as widely used as possible.
Post #218,296 by broomberg 8/8/05 10:46:16 PM Reply	I disagree under the GNU terms as possible - and to make that free software as splendid as possible - and to make it as widely used as possible. It is to allow other programmers to learn and build. Everything else is a side effect, not the pupose.
Post #218,308 by ChrisR 8/8/05 11:16:18 PM Reply	The original instigation for FSF arose from the experience with the Unix OS under Bell Labs. Programmers, such as Stallman, wanted access to the source code so that they could make improvements. They wanted to share those improvements with other such programmers. AT&T came in and restricted the redistribution of the source code because they owned the OS and all surrounding utilities. Now how this translates into whose freedoms are being protected is a different issue. Does this mean that I have to make all modifications available to the community under all circumstances? Well, the GPL does not have that general level of a requirement, as it sought to hone in only on those that attempted to restrict access to source code when it was redistributed. The current question is not whether a programmer is forced to release modifications, but in what circumstances a trigger is met that software is being distributed. The purpose of the FSF was to build a toolset (and subsequent OS) that was based on the free exchange of source. The goal is to make that toolset as useful as possible, such that one need not use software for which one does not have source. Use of that software in proprietary systems is not antithetical to the FSF, other than in the way it effects the quality of free software. Learning and building are but secondary goals to the overall goal of making a set of free software that can be used by users. But all this is pure pedantry. The reasons why people contribute to free software is quite varied, as noted by Stallman's constant irritation of Linus' engineering indifference. One of the interesting questions in all this is whether Linux (excuse me, GNU/Linux) will go with a GPLv3 license. Remember that the goals of Linux are not necessarily in alignment with FSF. Sure, some distributions may use it, but there will also be many that don't. And most will simply distribute the various components under whatever license (incompatible or not) that happened to be attached. MySQL, the other example cited, is much different than either FSF or Linux. It is issued under the GPL by a company that also sells a proprietary version. It is in their interest to prevent other companies from improving and selling MySQL services - since that's how they make some of their money. They'd just as well be the only ones making proprietary improvements - not exactly what you'd call the same goals as FSF. The authors of Jasper Reports is in the process of trying to use this same sort of business model.

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