🚀 go-pugleaf

In <1992Jan12.035558.10335@Sandelman.OCUnix.on.ca>
mcr@Sandelman.OCUnix.on.ca (Michael Richardson) writes:
>   One can see that it doesn't matter much to IBM's workers whether or
> not there are software patents.

The patent issue is unrelated to the freely-redistributable-software
issue.  I am against software patents and against the GPL.  (The GLPL's
not so bad, but I still don't like it.)

>   Worse, people that wish to take public code and restrict it so
> they can sell it (rather than their service), are saying that they
> deserve a monopoly on selling this code. Fine, I'll willing to grant
> them their right to do whatever they like with creative works. 
>   But, by placing my code under the copyleft, I'm saying that I will
> not allow a monopoly to be had on the code. Anyone can use it and
> modify it, and give it to their friends. If they like, they can even
> *compete* with me for service.

This is just confused nonsense.  If you write program X and make it
truly free, and some people come along and restrict it so that they can
sell it, they DO NOT have a monopoly on program X.  You can still provide
as many people as you like with the free version, and you can still
develop the free version.

Placing the code for program X under the GPL won't make program X any 
freer. What it will do is stop DERIVATIVE programs, which use code 
from program X, from being restricted. It won't even stop people 
getting a monopoly, because there is no monopoly to stop. If people 
grab X and make a restricted X' from it, there's nothing to stop me 
grabbing X and making a free version of X'. If my version's better, 
the restricted X' will die.  Compete by being better!

Of course, this assumes a lack of software patents and user-interface
copyrights.  But I've already said I support getting rid of those.  So fight
the worthwhile fight to get rid of software patents; that way the GPL will
be unnecessary.
 
>   Guess what: nothing prevents you (to my knowledge) from making a
> copyleft'ed release and also selling rights to software you have
> created. The copyleft prevents people from using your code without
> consulting you. 

Yeah, but a plain old copyright notice could do the job just as well.


mathew

-- 
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