🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <259@unf7.UUCP> shite@unf7.UUCP (Stephen Hite) writes:
>  In the latest issue of Dr. Dobbs magazine (June) on page 164, there is a
>company calling itself "Networks" and it is charging the following prices for
>redistribution of GNU software:
>
>		*new* gnu emacs		Call
>		gnu c++			$150.00
>		gnu c			$125.00
>		...and other gnu utils ranging $30.00 - $45.00
>
>  I'm assuming that "Call" means it's too expensive to print.  It seems to me
>that the costs for the first 3 are way out of line.  The other utils (bison,
>gas, binutils, etc.) I have seen advertised other places at the $30-45 level.
>
>  Is this "Networks" company breaking any CopyLeft rules on reasonable 
>redistribution costs??

What rules?

I believe you can sell GNU products, there is nothing that I recall
prohibiting that.

What you can't do, however, is prohibit the recipient from redistributing
what you sell them.  Thus, once I buy the GNU C tape, I can give it away for
anything I want, including for nothing (ie: FREE).

You might say that this company is profiting from the distribution.  So
what?  They are offering a service, and pricing it as they see fit.  No
problem there.  

If you want to complain about "tape charges", you should see what the DEC
VMS "media cost" is like..... $500 for one $40 tape cartridge.  Mind you,
this is just for the media -- you still need the $50k license.

--
Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl)
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