Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2000 17:16:27 -0400 From: "Thomas M. Sommers" <tms2@mail.ptd.net> To: Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org> Cc: Rahul Siddharthan <rsidd@physics.iisc.ernet.in>, freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: The GPL is really the PPL (Was: Sun's web site) Message-ID: <399EF92B.E58BF78B@mail.ptd.net> References: <20000816221119.B7276@physics.iisc.ernet.in> <4.3.2.7.2.20000817232139.04cf0840@localhost> <4.3.2.7.2.20000818064620.00dbc670@localhost>
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Brett Glass wrote: > > 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. A greedy shyster will argue that management breached its duty because it should have know that a killing could be made, but instead gave away the ability to make it. > 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." But they can't get sued for that. > 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. I understand your dislike of the GPL, and even agree with it up to a point (really, not as in "Up to a point, Lord Copper."). But that is irrelevant to the point I was trying to make. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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