[comp.lang.c++] GNU License Agreement

carsten@rwthinf.UUCP (Carsten Weise) (08/17/88)

I always thought, free software is meant for people who need compilers,
editors, utilities, etc. because they have to or want to work with
their computer and cannot or don't want to pay the expensive prices of
many software vendors.
If I urgently need some utility for my own computer, I also
need some software to develop the utility. But I see no problem in giving
away this utility freely to others, be it in binary or 
source-code. Why shouldn't others try to learn from my programming style?
Or correct mine?
But if you develop commercial software (i.e. software you want to sell), I
think you should *buy* your compiler, editor, etc.! If you want people
to pay for your software, you will have to pay for theirs.
So if you use free software, you can only develop free software.
I believe this is the idea behind the GNU License Agreement. Correct me, if
I'm wrong.

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	Carsten Weise, Lehrstuhl fuer Informatik I  | 
	Aachen University of Technology	            | Here are the young men,
	Ahornstr.55, 5100 Aachen, FR Germany        | but where have they been?
	UUCP: carsten@rwthinf.uucp                  | (JD)
	...!uunet!unido!rwthinf!carsten             |
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