Discuss: BSD Protection License

De Bug debug at centras.lt
Wed Mar 13 15:31:53 UTC 2002


>   No, it isn't.  The intent is to ensure that a "free for both open and 
>closed source use" body of code can't be turned into a "free for open 
>source use only" body of code.  I mention "GPL-taint" because the GPL is 
>the most common example of an (from my point of view) overly restrictive 
>license.
Yes indeed GPL is overly restrictive.
Free software under GPL is important because among other things
it enforces free competition but...
read carefully what the following practices mean:

>No. All the software we develop is open source / free
>software. The core MySQL[tm] server is under GPL. Some other
>modules are under LGPL or some other open source licence. We
>DO SELL COMMERCIAL LICENCES OF our own OPEN SOURCE software,
>but that does not limit the availability of the same code
>under open source.

Well it really does not limit the availability under GPL
but one single commercial licence introduces unfaircompetition - 
those under GPL are discriminized compared with those under commercial licence

> Handling copyright in this way also allows us to sell commercial
>licences to those who do not wish to be bound by the GPL
>licence terms, and when doing so, we can afford to hire more
>developers.

Sure enough but all this is at cost of users under GPL
I find this practice to be a worm of lust in free software movement
Would not it be fair in case at least one commercial licence comes out 
to immediatelly and automatically switch from GPL to LGPL

--
De Bug
mailto: debug at centras.lt
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