Paul de Weerd wrote:
Scenario A, this code is released under the BSD license. You can take
it, improve it and never share your changes with anyone.
Scenario B, this code is released under the GPL license. You can take
it, improve it and never share your changes with anyone.
Where is the difference ? How did you avoid the social failure you
spoke of ?
I'll tell you where the difference is (with an example). You can sell
your changed version in scenario A but you can not sell it in scenario
B (given the 'never share your changes with anyone'-part). But you can
use it all you like.
You can sell it in both scenarios.
What you can not do in Scenario B is sell modified versions of someone
else's code without providing source.
Neither the BSD not GPL licenses do much to limit what you do for your
own use.
Any individual or business can use the code as they please for their own
internal purposes.
If your definition of freedom is the permitting others to profit from
your efforts WITHOUT atleast sharing their efforts with you
Then BSD licenses are more free.
If your definition of Freedom is ensuring that the freedoms you offered
to everyone you distributed to must be extended to anyone they
re-distribute to
then the GPL is more free.
Though for the life of me I can not understand why allowing a third
party to modify your work, refuse to share their modifications with
anyone and then
resell something that is primarily your work for their profit, is
somehow more free.
But the whole argument is just stupid. If you create something that is
copyrighted, as the author you are completely free to decide exactly what
rights beyond those of copyright you wish to extend.
One license is better than the other only to the extent that it better
reflects the wishes of the author.
As the author you can omit the license entirely - and just include
Copyright 2007 by Me. That preserves all available freedoms to the
author and entirely prohibits redistribution without permission.
Actually you can even omit the copyright notice too.
--
Dave Lynch DLA Systems
Software Development: Embedded Linux
717.627.3770 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.dlasys.net
fax: 1.253.369.9244 Cell: 1.717.587.7774
Over 25 years' experience in platforms, languages, and technologies too
numerous to list.
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of
genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction."
Albert Einstein
