Sometime on Oct 8, Rony assembled some asciibets to say:
If I own a software company, how do I make money if my software is OSS and anyone can compile the code and sell copies of the same without I getting any share of it? Is too much freedom dangerous?
Music labels ask the same question about their music being shared across the internet. Now, it comes as no surprise that the same people who fight for free software also fight for open distribution of online music. What's strange is that a large portion of people who fight for open distribution of online music would not give away their own software for free.
The fact is that with changing technology, business models need to adapt to stay in the game. Legislating that things stay the same because you wouldn't make money if they changed is counter productive to everyone, yourself included.
The first business to discover a sustainable business model based on the free share of online assets will likely remain a business leader for quite a while.
Many people will tell you that you make money by selling services rather than selling software. IMO, that's not really sustainable. As your client base increases, your need for more support personnel increases, and consequently your costs go up. Selling products and providing service for them will always get you more money than selling service only (which anyone can do).
Many companies are starting to identify new means of making money out of stuff they give away, but the killer business plan hasn't surfaced yet.