Bruce Perens on OSI

[der.hans]

Am 02. Aug, 2002 schwätzte Kyle Faber so:

> 	I write the finest program the world has ever seen, called "Kyle's Greatest
> Duck Calculator and Redivisibilator.  (KGDCR).  Jim happens to be getting his
> doctorate degree CompSci with a specialty in programs that do Duck
> Calculation and Redivisibilation.  I release my program under the GPL (though
> it is so great maybe I should have charged for it ;).  The knowledge that Jim

You can charge for GPLd software. It just gets difficult because those who
bought it can give it away. It's very easy to do the first time, though.

> can gain from eyeballing my source code, and the algorithms involved in KGDCR
> could be earth shattering.  Without distributing my code, and if the
> statement that the software is unlicensed (for him) until he personally does
> so is valid, the KGDCR is public domain (public domain defined here as
> software with no license whatsoever), Jim can gain insight that he otherwise
> would not have and not credit me (assuming he was the only person who has
> seen the code so far so no one caught it).  I realize that there are a lot of
> assumptions in that sentence but none of them are outlandish (other than me
> writing such great software).  Once something enters the public domain, it
> cannot be retrieved.  Saying something is unlicensed until you distribute it
> is a "Schroedinger's Cat" approach to software licensing, and I, for one,
> would like to believe that the KGDCR is not a dead cat.  Because it really is
> a great program, you should try it some time ;)

OK, I got a little confused in there.

GPLd code is not 'public domain'. GPL specifically has a copyright. Without
the copyright there is not way to enforce the freedoms guaranteed by the
GPL. That might be what you were pointing out.

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/categories.html#PublicDomainSoftware

At some point the copyright expires and the work becomes public domain.

> 	My second point would be that Click-through on GPL software differs greatly
> from the "signing for a cash purchase" analogy.  When I buy something for $1
> at the grocery store, I can open a stand outside and sell it again to someone
> walking in for $2.  If the product was GPL'd, I would have to add value to it
> before I could charge for it.  The store relinquishes all rights to products

Not at all, but adding value helps make the sale. If you can sell water to
a drowning man, you can probably make a very comfortable living selling Free
Software.

ciao,

der.hans
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