> Patrik Stridvall wrote: > > > They turn to their respective distributor say Red Hat and > say that they > > are prepared to pay $XXX per year for a better supported Wine. > > Red Hat in turn hires me (or some other on this list) to do > this and I do: > > > > cvs update ; ./configure ; make install > > > > That is your problem. > > I fail to see why this should be a problem. Once the code is > written is > (basically) free to use by the one who wrote it (or ordered it, > depending on the agreements). Red Hat got his money in that > case because > it agreed to create that code.
I was talking about the 100+ seat support contract CodeWeavers wanted. > You got your money because you > were hired > by Red Hat. If Red Hat chooses now to release the code it > still has the > money and you still have your money. The only problem would be if it > didn't release the code and some other customer would come along and > asks for the same thing to be developed. In that case it > might be worse > (but for Red Hat) because it can now get paid a second time, while it > won't get paid if the code is released. But that is a general > problem of > GPLed code and not specifically to Wine. I think that > companies working > with GPL code are well aware of that fact and their busines model must > accomodate that fact. The point is: - The 100+ seat company gains. (They get support). - Red Hat gains. (They get money). - I gain. (I get money). - But CodeWeavers, that did a lot of work on Wine, doesn't gain anything and they are becaused of the LGPL been forced to release all of their work. Sure they might gain back a few bug fixes if I had to do in order to fix a few small flaws, but then Red Hat probably would have let me release it anyway.
