David Kastrup wrote: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > David Kastrup wrote: > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > >> > Which raises another question: What happens if I learn something > >> > from the GNU software, like a "trick" or a more efficient way of > >> > programming some algorithm? If I use that METHOD/KNOWLEDGE even > >> > if not the ORIGINAL CODE does this mean I have to GNU? > >> > >> Copyright concerns a particular expression, not the idea behind it. > >> Restricting access to ideas is the area of patents, not copyright. > >> > >> In order to be sure that no copyrightable expression from a good > >> idea remains, large companies employ a "cleanroom" tactic: one team > >> analyses the copyrighted code, and then writes a specification for > >> it. A different team without access to the original code then > >> rewrites the code from specification. If the whole is done in a > >> well-documented way, it is likely to hold up in court. > > > > And what about an individual, not a multi-employee big fat > > corporation? > > Then you are not overly likely to be on the radar for high-profile > lawsuits. Be sure that your code is structured significantly > different. Making an abstract interface description will help your > case, too. Try working from that description instead of your memory > of the code. > > Note that this is nothing particular to the GPL. >
Well I guess so. > >> Well, so why do you want to make money off the work of others > >> without recompensating them? You are free to write to the > >> copyright holders of the GPLed software and negotiate a different > >> license, and pay for that privilege. > >> > > > > Of course it's totally up them (the owner) whether or not I have to > > pay for that privilege. > > Sure. As it is totally up to you whether or not others have to pay > for the privilege of using your code. > Yep. I _need_ the money, for example. > > Also, since I'd be starting from very little money, would they let > > me pay for it over time using the income I get from the program? > > No way to find out but ask them. > Yep. > > Just out of curiosity, if you made a GPL program and I wanted to use > > a bit of code in a for-profit program (I'm not a big company > > though), would you want me to pay money up front or could I pay it > > off with the income I get? > > Very much depends on the case at hand. If I feel you are dealing with > a fringe market, I might make it a one-time payment. If I feel that > there is something sustainable in it, I might try for a profit ratio. > If I find the project to be distasteful, I might refuse altogether. > Or I might make a deal for dual-licensing (Trolltech publishes Qt > under multiple licenses, GPL and proprietary, and the latter makes > their income). > So what if I don't have enough for the "one-time" payment (would it be like $1000 or more (!)), and thus the program has to go out to get the money? > -- > David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum _______________________________________________ gnu-misc-discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnu-misc-discuss
