jbw@zeb.uswest.com (Joe Wells) (08/14/90)
In article <1990Aug13.183623.25045@comm.wang.com> lws@comm.wang.com (Lyle Seaman) writes: peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) writes: >They [ NeXT ] use separate, individual GNU programs. That's a small >subset of possible ways someone can use my code. They can use it as a >library routine, for example (in fact, that's how they're using it). >With GNU code if you can't somehow package it into a separate >executable you lose. Well, not exactly. If you can't package it into a separate executable, you have to distribute your additions to the whole world. Not exactly the same as saying that you can't do it, only that you have to share. More like, "if you want to use what we give you, you've got to give us what you've done, and let us do with it as we wish." The Free Software Foundation is considering distributing their libraries with a more lenient license. If/when they do this, you will be able to distribute a binary linked with their libraries as long as you distribute object modules for the non-GNU portion so that the users can relink. Note, this will only apply to GNU's libraries. No, you're not allowed to charge for GNU products. You're only allowed to charge a "reasonable" distribution fee, to compensate you for your costs in getting it to the user. You can charge any amount of $$$ for a GNU product that you want to. However, if you charge too much, you will make at most one sale, because the first person to whom you sell can resell to anyone else for whatever price they want to. -- Joe Wells <jbw@uswest.com> Copyright 1990 Joe Wells. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce and redistribute this message only in its entirety. :-)