Re: [TCLUG:17728] Motif has gone opensource!

[Luke Francl <fran0382@tc.umn.edu>]

On Tue, 16 May 2000, Daniel Taylor wrote:

> If you put GPL on it you allow free distribution, but with source 
> available only. Only a small improvement if your motive is profit,
> but at least you don't give your competitors a sword to put in your
> back.

Very true...And also, as the copyright holder of the software, I could
re-license under whatever terms I desire. But, if other developers
maintained their copyrights to the parts of the code (like the Linux
kernel), there is no way I'd ever be able to re-license for profit if it
was GPL. SOMEONE would object, and I'd have to re-write that component.
With BSD, you don't have to worry about that...(which is what I was
thinking when I made my initial statement). OTOH, as you point out,
nothing stops my compeditors from releasing the exact same product with a
few enhancements, and burying me...

I guess it comes down to what you want to do...I think the market for
selling GPL'd software a la Redhat is a very small one...since it can, of
course, be had for free. If you want to charge for support that's fine,
but if you want to charge for software, well...you're screwed.

Luke