🚀 go-pugleaf

On 6 Oct 1998 17:35:35 GMT, Bill Unruh <unruh@physics.ubc.ca> wrote:
>In <cAGRYSALPdG2EwjQ@dlsl.demon.co.uk> Jason Clifford <jason@dlsl.demon.co.uk> writes:
>
>>What I am asserting is that the author of any given software has teh
>>right to release source or not as he wishes - it is HIS work after all!

	Part of his deal with society in which he derives benefit
	from the power of the state to enforce his distribution
	monopoly is generally that he will fully disclose his
	'invention'. Obviously that is not currently being done,
	however it should be.

>
>Fair enough. However, I contend that it is a reasonable demand of
>society that in return for the grant of monopoly rights to distribute
>such software, the author be required to also publish the source code.
>He is still perfectly free to withholdt as long as he does not then
>demand the right to control the distribution of the software. Ie either
>keep it secret, or publish it, but not the current attempt to have it
>both ways -- keeping it secret and demanding the right to control
>distribution. 


-- 
Hardly. Microsoft has brought the microcomputer OS to
the point where it is more bloated than even OSes from          |||
what was previously larger classes of machines altogether.     / | \
This is perhaps Bill's single greatest accomplishment.    

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