Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Another artist who programs chimes in....

Author:Seth Gordon
Posted:8/25/2000; 11:23:33 AM
Topic:Next survey: Are you an open source developer?
Msg #:20224 (In response to 20151)
Prev/Next:20223 / 20225

The GPL is widespread because, as Dave states above, creative people are often not good businesspeople and in many cases have an aversion to thinking about such things. It is thus easy for them to swallow the misleading rhetoric of the FSF and hurt themselves by embracing an agenda designed to hurt them.
OK, let's say I write the Not-So-Great American Computer Program. I don't want to get into the software business myself, so I don't want to try to sell it. But you want to take the program's code, make some changes to it, and sell the modified version for $100 a copy.

If I release the program under the GPL, then you won't be able to profit from selling your modified version. If I release the program under the BSD license, then you can sell your modified version, without having to pay me anything.

I understand how my releasing the software under the BSD license, rather than the GPL, benefits you. I don't understand, though, how it benefits me. Sure, I'd benefit from having your modified version available for $100 -- but I'd have to pay exactly the same price as the rest of the world. That wouldn't make me feel compensated for my creativity.

So if I release my program under the BSD, and you sell the modified version for $100 a copy, which of us is the good businessman?

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