Re: GPL and economics

On Fri, 14 Jun 2002, Matt Seitz wrote:

> "Francois Gouget" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > The GPL ensures that everyone has equal access to GPL software: all can
> > use it, modify its source and distribute the modified source.
>
> No, only those who agree to abide by the GPL's rules regarding redistribution
> can modify GPL source and distribute the modified source.

Of course you have to respect the license! If that's unacceptable to
you then the only software you will find acceptable is public domain
software.


> > 2. So let's forget about the 'proprietary' part and see that part about
> > the "monopoly under the GPL license". Well, this is impossible too. You
> > cannot have a monopoly based on GPL software. Again, dictionary.com says
> > in part: http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=monopoly
> >
> >     monopoly n.
> >
> >     Exclusive control by one group of the means of producing or selling
> >     a commodity or service
> >
> > But by their very nature the GPL licenses ensure that no single entity
> > has 'exclusive control' of the source.
>
> Look again at your definition: exclusive control by one group.  In the case of
> the GPL, the group potentially execrcising exclusive control is those willing
> to abide by the terms of the GPL.

That's completely absurd. These individuals don't form a group any more
than all the people with blond hair. Even less in fact because anyone is
free to make up their mind and decide whether or not they want to be
part of the group. Given these conditions there is no way these millions
of independant individuals exercise *exclusive* control!

You are stretching the meaning of monopoly so far that it has become
meaningless.


> > If you hire RedHat to do some work on the Linux
> > Kernel for you and they suddenly jack the prices up, you can keep your
> > source and work on it yourself, or hire Mandrake, Connectiva, IBM, or
> > pretty much any other service company to replace them. Nobody has a
> > monopoly on GPL software
>
> But no matter which of those groups I go to, I will have to license my work
> under the terms of the GPL.

So what! Whatever the license you have to abide by it. Furthermore, what
you are distributing is not *your* work, as in 'all mine'. What you are
distributing includes the work of thousands of other individuals so it
is only fair that they have a say on what you do with their work.


--
Francois Gouget         [email protected]        http://fgouget.free.fr/
     We are Pentium of Borg. You will be approximated. Division is futile.