[plug] Software License Evaluation

[Chris Caston]

On Tue, 2004-06-01 at 13:40, Shayne O'Neill wrote:
> The making money AND gpl bit is of course a little scary, BUT , folks do
> make money off it. One could also consider dual licence, ie have a gpl
> version and a paid version that includes a few goodies. That should be
> fine for most folks.
> 

CUPS and MySQL work this way. Note the CUPS in MacOS X was paid for but
the one in Linux is free.

Can you add modules to the software?

Why not make the base xGPL and sell the modules? As well as support and
implemtation services.

Open source software is promoted by the people that use it and the more
people that use it the more promotion it gets.


>  ------------------------------------
> "Must not Sleep! Must warn others!"
> -Aesop.
> Shayne O'Neill. Indymedia. Fun.
> http://www.perthimc.asn.au
> 
> On Tue, 1 Jun 2004, Onno Benschop wrote:
> 
> > I've read all the contributions to this thread, both to the list and
> > private ones and think I understand better where I stand. For that I
> > thank you.
> >
> > I think I understand the issues enough to make a series of statements
> > and I'd love to hear what you think about it:
> >
> >      1. As an IT consultant, I derive income from hiring out my brain.
> >         The most common form this takes is writing software. The
> >         software I've written over several years has now gotten to the
> >         point where I have been asked to sell it to clients.
> >      2. If I license the software under the GPL - bearing in mind that
> >         the code takes the form of a Web-Application written in PHP -
> >         then I can charge the client for the purchase of the software.
> >      3. There is no need for me to provide my application free of charge
> >         to anyone, but of course the client is free to do with it what
> >         they like.
> >      4. In turn, the client is obliged to give any changes to the source
> >         code back to me - either directly, or via a download - but
> >         *only* if they re-distribute my application to another party.
> >      5. Finally, I can include their modifications to my code if I feel
> >         like it and any developer community that may or may not appear
> >         will be initially sourced from the client base.
> >      6. At some stage I might decide to release the application for free
> >         to the world, but I'm not obliged to do so.
> >      7. I can continue to derive income from the sale of the
> >         application, add extra modules on an agreed brain for hire
> >         charge and could decide to include such developed modules into
> >         the code or not.
> >      8. I have the option to decide if I wish to charge differential
> >         rates for different combinations of modules.
> >      9. I may also decide to include x-number of support calls, updates,
> >         bug-fixes, whatever, associated with the application as sold to
> >         the client.
> >
> > Is there anything in the above that raises eyebrows anywhere?
> >
> > Onno Benschop
> >
> > Connected via Optus B3 at S27°52'30" - E151°16'25" (Millmerran, QLD)
> > --
> > ()/)/)()        ..ASCII for Onno..
> > |>>?            ..EBCDIC for Onno..
> > --- -. -. ---   ..Morse for Onno..
> >
> > Proudly supported by Skipper Trucks, Highway1, Concept AV, Sony Central, Dalcon
> > ITmaze - ABN: 56 178 057 063 - ph: 04 1219 8888 - onno at itmaze dot com dot au
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > http://mail.plug.linux.org.au/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/plug
> > Committee e-mail: committee at plug.linux.org.au
> >
> 
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>