David Chan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> Mark Seaborn writes:
[snip]
> > What about in poor countries?
> [...]
> > I don't see why someone shouldn't be able to set themselves up a
> > little business just photocopying free music without a computer.
>
> Yes, I agree, you're right about both these things. Ok, so I was
> wrong, we must allow people to distribute verbatim copies without
> having to provide the source code.
>
> I think we should still insist that distributors of modified
> versions must provide source code, though.
Okay, this seems reasonable.
My biggest remaining problem with having to provide source is what
medium it should be provided on. I *wasn't* just being facetious when
I said should it be disc, CD-ROM or punched tape (or the Internet).
There are modern computers (ones that can run Lilypond!) that can't
read either floppy discs (iMacs, I believe) or CD-ROMs or don't have
Internet access. But floppy discs are a lowest common denominator for
most people, and so a requirement could be added to distribute source
on flopppy if negotiations between the distributor and its client for
a more convenient medium fail.
But decades from now, floppy discs might be useless to everyone. Why
should they be hardwired into a licence?
[snip]
> > But self-interest is a very complex thing, and I wouldn't be
> > surprised if a few publishers decided it was in their interest to
> > release such sources to encourage others to do the same, or to
> > gain goodwill.
>
> This will happen some times; other times it won't. I don't think we
> should particularly rely on it happening.
>
> Another thing is that a small number of big publishers control the
> market today - including, significantly, the distribution channels.
> They probably don't want copylefted music to succeed. Hoping for
> "some publisher" to release the source code might sometimes work in
> a fluid free market, but in a quite monopolistic market it'll be
> less effective.
You're probably right. After all, something like Mutopia hasn't
happened yet, so there must be a general lack of enlightened
self-interest in the sheet music market. There doesn't seem to have
been anyone willing to sell lots of out-of-copyright music cheaply
rather than selling a little of it at high price.
--
Mark Seaborn
- [EMAIL PROTECTED] - http://members.xoom.com/mseaborn/ -
What sort of person uses the word ``diskette''?
