🚀 go-pugleaf

Please kindly note that this is posted on behalf of a friend who,
for some unclear reasons, has problems with posting to newsgroups.
But he receives his mail OK.  Please do not send any mail responses
to me - I am just an innocent bystander - but directly to the author
of this posting, i.e. to uunet!dunike!onecom!wldrdg!hans.  The posting
below may reflect or may not my personal views on a subject.
  -mj
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> cut here>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The 'Shareware' idea was a good one when it was first proposed.  Cheap
distribution combined with free demos.  Unfortunately, as more and more
software appeared as shareware, things got out of hand.  Every little
utility had a shareware price.  If you were used to UNIX at work, you
suddenly wanted 1) a UNIX-like shell, 2) a terminal emulator, 3) a compiler
system, 4) a virus protector, ... each asking $20 to $50.  Even simple
stuff like TSR's to change fonts or print a screen were asking for $10 to
$30.  If you actually paid for every shareware utility you might
use once in a while, you'd be spending hundreds of dollars.  All this for
a home system you just use for fun.

With this in mind, I am proposing a new form of Shareware license.
Instead of one price for any user, the price depends on what you use
the system for.  For example, the freeware compiler for the Atari ST
we have written (Sozobon C) might have the following fee structure:

	1) Home users (who earn no money with their computers)
		$0
	2) Shareware authors and those who use their computers as
	   business tools (writers and accountants for example):
		$10
	3) Commercial computer companies (software developers or
	   full time computer consultants for example):
		$50

In addition, I am proposing the alternative fee structure "Payment in
Kind" for Shareware authors and Commercial software developers.  Users
of Sozobon C which develop products with it can pay the fees above OR
can simply send us 3 copies of their product (or one copy with 3 licenses).

Another way of looking at this proposal is "Payment according to you
philosopy".  If you believe in freeware (and all your programs are free),
Sozobon C is free.  If you believe in shareware (and always ask for a
fee), we ask you for a fee.  If you believe in commertial software (and
ask $50 or more for your product), you owe us $50.  Alternatively, we
are willing to trade our software for yours.

What do you think of this idea??

	Johann Ruegg
	Sozobon Ltd
	uunet!dunike!onecom!wldrdg!hans

/* This IS an official statement of Sozobon Ltd */