Re: Petreley on commercial support for non-MS OSes

[Steve Cohen <stevecoh@mcs.com>]

Brett Glass wrote:

> At 02:44 PM 1/3/99 -0500, Steve Cohen wrote:
>
> >The difference is that Brett wants "open source" developers to let him
> >profit off their innovations;
>
> We should all be able to profit from one another's innovations.
>
> The effect of publishing free, open source software without allowing others
> to build on it is predatory pricing and the destruction of markets
> and livelihoods.

If you want to posit a utopia where ALL software is going to be released under
BSD-style open-source license then maybe I'd agree with you.  But as long as
the commercial software houses are ALSO free to take this code and use it to
make closed-source proprietary products, there is a problem.

>
>
> >Suppose there was no repository of GPL code.  Then Brett would have to do
> >exactly what he must do now - reinvent the wheel.
>
> And you think that's a good thing? If so, you are both anti-business
> and anti-innovation.

No, I didn't say that it was a good thing.  I said it was the current
situation.  My point, which you've managed to ignore with this strawman, is
that your situation would be just as bad if there were no repository of
GPL code.

>
>
> Actually, there is SOME reprieve from that tedious fate thanks to the
> existence of BSD-licensed open source. But that pool is not nearly
> large enough. Right now, the GPL is still destroying business opportunities
> and is preying on innovative small business.
>
> --Brett