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GNU License stifles e-commerce?

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Agent007:
Hi guys,

I've been thinking......Has anyone realised that the so called GNU movement started by Stallman may actually end e-commerce. I mean, consider the scenario, I'm a budding developer, instead of giving away software for free, I charge a small fee and release it under the GPL license. (btw, GPL allows one to charge a fee for software). But, who will come forward and buy the software from me? I mean, code is freely available everywhere.

Also, if someone does buys from me, he will improve it and sell it off to someone else OR if he is well of financially, he may give it for free to someone else and put an end to my business!

I think that Stallman should make changes to the current GPL license.....if he dosen't do this ASAP then Microsoft is gonna greatly benefit from this slip-up on the part of Stallman.

What do u guys think?
thanks,
007

Interscope:
Doom Scenario: M$ releases M$ Linux which supports windows programs. They put a huge fee on top of it(what else do you expect of them) wouldn't people who really cared about price or ethics just move to the Free distributions and get something like wine?

voidmain:
I think you are missing the point. E-Commerce wouldn't be nearly as effective as it is *without* GPL type software. It allows companies to set up shop on the web very cheaply and very efficiently saving them lots of money. There's nothing forcing you to create your software under the GPL. If you have a piece of software that does what no other software does and everyone needs it you should be able to make a pretty good penny. That is until there are free alternatives to your software.      

Many people who write GPL code are paid for writing said code. That is several companies may need the same product. They pool their resources together and hire programmers to write the app. They put the app out under the GPL and maybe some more companies will need this software so they have their programmers alter it to their needs and release the changes back for everyone to profit from (not directly by the software but from what the software *does* for their companies).

In effect they get a lot more programmers working on their software and it costs them no more. Of course then there are programmers who write this stuff besides their day job just because they have an itch to scratch and want to contribute in some way for all of the other software they have received that is open source and done by other programmers (an entire 3CD set of Red Hat for instance).

GPL programmers can make a very good living. Most aren't in it to get rich, they are in it because they want good software without being raped. And they want the software to work for *them*, not for the person who wrote it trying to get rich.

[ December 17, 2002: Message edited by: void main ]

flap:
I don't understand how any of that relates to e-commerce.
How will Microsoft benefit from the GPL?

The GPL isn't there to protect programmers. It's there to benefit society. If you go bust but everyone else benefits from a better piece of software, tough shit I'm afraid.

See http://www.redhat.com/apps/commerce/ for how one company is making money selling free software.

FS still isn't that profitable as there are too many people using proprietary alternatives. If the GPL was more widespread or, better yet, legally enforced, some/all of the money that's currently being poured into the Microsoft toilet would actually be going into funding free software development.

voidmain:
Maybe you don't understand what e-commerce is. E-commerce is the buying and selling of products online (or electronically). Products are not limited to "software". In fact the huge majority of E-commerce is not about selling software. It's about selling brick & mortar products. Of course you need software in order for Ecommerce to exist. Using GPL software over proprietary software for your E-commerce business will cause your overhead to be lower and your profits to be higher.

Maybe the original poster didn't really mean "e-commerce". Maybe he meant "With the GPL license how can there ever become another multi-billionaire like Bill Gates?" Not having those kinds of people around is not a bad thing in my book. Where do his billions come from? From pockets of people like me (well, back before I became enlightened that is).

[ December 17, 2002: Message edited by: void main ]

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