I just happened to be reminded of something by this increasingly acrimonious thread, so at the risk of getting burned, here goes...
On Sun, Feb 02, 2003 at 02:54:50PM +0800, Andy Sy wrote: > From: Rick Moen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Hah, _who's_ playing games, here? Since you can't get a copy of my > > GPLed one-liner shell script without forking over that US $1 (because > > I won't issue it at all except to you, and only upon receipt of US $1), > > you can't have any aspect at all of the code without paying. > > This is a degenerate case you have set up for purely pedantic > purposes. Who releases a GPL'ed piece of code and then says > that no one can have it unless at least one person pays for it > first? Hilarious. > It's not as hilarious as you think. This is actually the basis for Bruce Schneier's Street Performer Protocol. You effectively leave the code (or music, or piece of electronic art, or whatever) on "ransom" until someone pays you a specific amount of money. Then, its released, at first perhaps to the people who paid you, with the GPL or whatever other free license, and then later on to the rest of the world. > Nor is it entirely clear what it is you're selling in this context. > Is it the code? Is it the rights granted by the GPL as applied to > your code? Is it the act of transferring? To me, it seems more > an act of blackmail than anything else! With the MySQL commercial Think of it like the code has been "kidnapped" and must be ransomed. -- Rafael R. Sevilla <dido at imperium dot ph> +63(2)8123151 Software Developer, Imperium Technology Inc. +63(917)4458925 _ Philippine Linux Users Group. Web site and archives at http://plug.linux.org.ph To leave: send "unsubscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fully Searchable Archives With Friendly Web Interface at http://marc.free.net.ph To subscribe to the Linux Newbies' List: send "subscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
