Open Source Business Found Parasitic, and the ADCL

[Chris Gray]

On Thu, 13 Mar 2003 maa at liacc.up.pt wrote:

> OPEN SOURCE BUSINESS FOUND PARASITIC
> --WORK IN PROGRESS--
> Version 1maa (2003-03-12)
> (C) Mário Amado Alves
> 
> (I intend to publish this text in a wider medium than this list, unless 
> essential faults are found in it. I welcome any collaboration: “I” can change 
> to “we”. The title is also changeable.)
> 
> I am an open source fan. I say this right away to clear up any impressions to 
> the contrary given by the title. Specifically, I have the utmost respect and 
> admiration for all existing open source businesses: RedHat, MySQL AB, etc. 
> (trademark signs required?) It is not their fault that their business is found 
> parasitic.
> 
> I am also a believer in intellectual property. 

The noise you hear is of RMS exploding. ;>

> Specifically, I believe that 
> authors (copyright owners?) are entitled to a just compensation for the 
> commercial use of their work.
> 
> So, naturally, I want to combine these two principles (open source and 
> intellectual property). However, I have found this to be very hard, if not 
> impossible.
> 
> In the rest of this text I explain the problem in detail, and propose 
> solutions. Open source business being parasitic is just one aspect, risen to 
> title status simply for its provocative appeal.
> 
> The current reflections are about open source in connection with the business 
> of selling software; not support, or anything else that is associated with the 
> software but that is not it.
> 
> Most open source licenses, including GPL, simply forbid selling the software. 

Nonsense.

[Rest of article deleted]

-- 

Chris Gray

VM Architect, ACUNIA


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