Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 06:52:50 -0600 From: Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org> To: "Thomas M. Sommers" <tms2@mail.ptd.net> Cc: Rahul Siddharthan <rsidd@physics.iisc.ernet.in>, freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: The GPL is really the PPL (Was: Sun's web site) Message-ID: <4.3.2.7.2.20000818064620.00dbc670@localhost> In-Reply-To: <399CDA16.E14E80C9@mail.ptd.net> References: <20000816221119.B7276@physics.iisc.ernet.in> <4.3.2.7.2.20000817232139.04cf0840@localhost>
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At 12:39 AM 8/18/2000, Thomas M. Sommers wrote: >If they are giving away their source, they probably aren't planning on >making much of a profit from it any more. The won't make ANY. But, worse still, they will spread the GPL, which will cut into the markets of the products from which they DO wish to profit. > If they use the GPL, they can >be pretty sure that no one else will make one, either. Management has a >fiduciary duty to the shareholders. If they give away their source, and >some other company makes a killing with it, Then they are hurt not one bit. However, no company can "make a killing with it." That other company must add substantial value, and ANY revenue it gets from that will be due to the added value, since the market value of the original code is zero. Zilch. Nada. Nothing. Which means that the other company deserves any money it makes. >In other words, using the GPL lets management cover their posteriors if >they decide to open their source. Not true. The company is undermining its ENTIRE INDUSTRY by using the GPL. It's sort of like saying, "Yes, I killed myself, but at least I hurt my competitor a little." In short, the GPL's "poison pill" makes the entire environment toxic. It poisons the well for ALL commercial software authors. That's why the GPL should be called the PPL (Poison Pill License). >I am not advocating this, but just describing what I think goes through >some people's minds. They should be helped to see the big picture. --Brett To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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