Re: Society's access to source code (was Re: KDE v. Gnome)

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Article #1396

#1396

From: Bill Unruh
Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 00:00

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In <YULQNJA$NJG2EwiU@dlsl.demon.co.uk> Jason Clifford <jason@dlsl.demon.co.uk> writes:

>In article <6v8oge$ej0$1@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca>, Bill Unruh
><unruh@physics.ubc.ca> writes
>>>I am not claiming that availability of source could not be useful - I am
>>>stating that it is not necessary.
>>Necessary to what? 

>To the ability o the user to use a given product. That is the basis for
>all licensing that the owner of the product is giving you rights to USE
>he product.

Agree it is not necessary to its use. That is not the issue being
discussed. The question is whether or not it is "necessary" for society
to have access to the source code it it is going to grant the person a
monopoly. I would argue that it is a fair exchange- monopoly for source,
and the seller can always opt for trade secret if he so desires (or
course it is hard to have a trade secret but many companies have used
things like dongles etc to try to maintain such secrecy. Of course they
have in addition tried to use copyright as well.)

Also, because of the ubiquity of bugs, of contractual non-compliance (my
software does such and such and if it does not-- oh that is a bug and I
have no responsibility for that!), source often is necessary for the use
of the product as well.

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<qj78u6.mf.ln@wog.interlog.com>  <slrn70ic1k.97.homer_j_simpson@donut.dhis.org> <6uc2pk$jh1$5@blue.hex.net>  <873e9hret2.fsf@ivm.de> <6ufkfu$o96$1@taliesin.netcom.net.uk>  <87sohgzh44.fsf@ivm.de> <FWc39EA3TLD2Ewp3@dlsl.demon.co.uk>  <6uipd0$oj8$1@winter.news.erols.com> <87zpbmkhdn.fsf@ivm.de>  <kbCveHAOyWD2EwdN@dlsl.demon.co.uk>  <Pine.SOL.3.91.980927140803.10597B-100000@howard>  <m3af3knl8m.fsf@c26469-a.clnvl1.ct.home.com> <6up86o$t23$1@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca>  <9nQpxDAYqKE2EwlY@dlsl.demon.co.uk> <6v0oet$avl$1@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca>  <OHkl5KAObKF2EwIy@dlsl.demon.co.uk> <yq3ogrvc6kb.fsf_-_@nasrullah.tchden.org>  <x7Yq2RA8iWF2Ewt$@dlsl.demon.co.uk> <F0ArHE.1M9@a2e.de>  <CGv2JQAhR7F2EwZs@dlsl.demon.co.uk> <6v8oge$ej0$1@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca> <YULQNJA$NJG2EwiU@dlsl.demon.co.uk>

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From: unruh@physics.ubc.ca (Bill Unruh)
Subject: Re: Society's access to source code (was Re: KDE v. Gnome)
Date: 1998/10/05
Message-ID: <6vbbg1$kg2$1@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca>
X-Deja-AN: 398037119
References: <qj78u6.mf.ln@wog.interlog.com>  <slrn70ic1k.97.homer_j_simpson@donut.dhis.org> <6uc2pk$jh1$5@blue.hex.net>  <873e9hret2.fsf@ivm.de> <6ufkfu$o96$1@taliesin.netcom.net.uk>  <87sohgzh44.fsf@ivm.de> <FWc39EA3TLD2Ewp3@dlsl.demon.co.uk>  <6uipd0$oj8$1@winter.news.erols.com> <87zpbmkhdn.fsf@ivm.de>  <kbCveHAOyWD2EwdN@dlsl.demon.co.uk>  <Pine.SOL.3.91.980927140803.10597B-100000@howard>  <m3af3knl8m.fsf@c26469-a.clnvl1.ct.home.com> <6up86o$t23$1@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca>  <9nQpxDAYqKE2EwlY@dlsl.demon.co.uk> <6v0oet$avl$1@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca>  <OHkl5KAObKF2EwIy@dlsl.demon.co.uk> <yq3ogrvc6kb.fsf_-_@nasrullah.tchden.org>  <x7Yq2RA8iWF2Ewt$@dlsl.demon.co.uk> <F0ArHE.1M9@a2e.de>  <CGv2JQAhR7F2EwZs@dlsl.demon.co.uk> <6v8oge$ej0$1@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca> <YULQNJA$NJG2EwiU@dlsl.demon.co.uk>
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