[PLUG] Proprietary Software & the GPL

[AthlonRob]

On Fri, 2002-12-06 at 09:33, Doug Davis wrote:
> On Fri, 2002-12-06 at 09:14, Rich Shepard wrote:
> 
> > However, I can now see advantages of selling copies to regulatory and
> > resource agencies, and training them in the proper use of the models. I have
> > no intention of releasing the whole application under the GPL; it will
> > remain proprietary.
> > 
> 
> On an ethical level, I think that you are doing a huge disservice to the
> community that you so often speak highly of. Why do you think it is
> moral to not release back to the community in the same spirit that the
> GPL libraries and tools were gifted to you? The community only works if
> people give as well as take. Are you only a taker or do you want to put
> your money where your mouth is? Consider whatever potential revenue that
> you may lose as payment for the many times you used other people's work
> gratis. Sell your training and implementation on these tools to the
> agencies if you need a revenue stream.

I've heard even programmers need to eat.

It was the GNU developers' right to release the source code to the
things they developed.

It is Rich's right to release the source code to what he develops... but
not a responsibility.  Ethically, how can you guilt him in to releasing
something he has worked quite hard on - then only making money providing
support for it... something that, once the source is out, somebody else
could quite easily do?

Naw, giving away something like that just doesn't make sense.  Perhaps
after he has made a reasonably level of revenue, if he is actually the
license holder (as he is porting from a different library - he could be
held by an NDA or something similar) he would release the source... but
let the guy make a few bucks.  :-)

And, to Rich, I am almost certain you can link against GPL'd libraries
without any problem.  If you distribute the binaries, you may need to
also distribute the source *for the GPL'd stuff* ... and if you modify
any of the GPL'd libraries, you need to release the source, but you
should be able to link against it without concern.

-- 
Rob                                |  If not safe,
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