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Date:      Sun, 3 May 1998 17:22:38 -0500
From:      Jonathan Lemon <jlemon@americantv.com>
To:        Nicole <freelist@webweaver.net>
Cc:        Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org>, chat@FreeBSD.ORG, FreeBSD advocacy list <FreeBSD-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG>
Subject:   Re: InfoWorld Electric: Linux Zealots Trashing FreeBSD, Berkeley
Message-ID:  <19980503172238.09469@right.PCS>
In-Reply-To: <XFMail.980503144012.freelist@webweaver.net>; from Nicole on May 05, 1998 at 02:40:12PM -0700
References:  <199805030318.VAA15026@lariat.lariat.org> <XFMail.980503144012.freelist@webweaver.net>

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On May 05, 1998 at 02:40:12PM -0700, Nicole wrote:
> 
> I have heard one good argument against the FreeBSD liscense altho I
> don't know how true it is..
> 
>  Their agument was that the license would allow someone (like M$) to
> take Freebsd and add some propritary stuff to it (like Front page
> extensions, active X etc) and sell it without having to give anything
> back to the FreeBSD group or even state that it was FreeBSD.
> 
> Any comments?

That's not a bug, it's a feature.  :-)

If M$ wants to do exactly that, more power to them.  In fact, I feel
that that is one of best things about the BSD license; anyone can take
it, add their features, and resell it.  Some companies even do exactly
what you are exactly what you are describing.

So what's wrong with that?  Simple economics state that people have to
make money in order to make a living.  Their competitors can also do 
the same thing.  The developers of FreeBSD get satisfaction in knowing
that their work is valuable to others, and has been used to improve the
overall state of the art in the industry.

Actually, it would be nice if M$ would do that, perhaps it would greatly
reduce the bugcount in their software and make it more useable.  :-)
--
Jonathan

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