On Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 12:32 PM, Kenneth Gonsalves lawgon@thenilgiris.comwrote:
On Wed, 2010-12-29 at 22:33 +0530, Narendra Sisodiya wrote:
Free Software aka Freedom Software or Example software licensed under GPLv3 or similar license never stop you to sell a software. For example If you purchase a custom GPLv3 software from me, I will charge you heavily.
remind me never to purchase from you ;-) Jokes aside, what you are trying to say is this: I write software for someone who pays me for it. Although I write it, since the developement is paid for by my client, he has the copyright over it. He can decide to release it under any license, or to keep it proprietary. I do not have any rights over the software. This is one way to make money (that is how I make a living - although I do not charge Narendra)
It means, you are not getting money from selling FOSS. You are getting money from selling your software to some customer who completely own your software. I too do sometimes but what is the difference between a developer sitting in a proprietary firm who produce non-free software and you. Both are getting paid for writing code which other own. In your case, the customer, in other case, the company.
The second scenario is that I write the software on my own time. I own the copyright. I can sell it to the client for a fee. But here is the catch: If I have licensed it under the GPL, the moment I sell it to the client, I have distributed it - and hence am obliged to give a copy of the source code to anyone who asks. So only the client pays for it, the rest of the world gets it free. This is impossible - the client will demand his money back - why should he pay while his competitors are all getting it free? - this business model will not work.
-- regards KG http://lawgon.livejournal.com Coimbatore LUG rox http://ilugcbe.techstud.org/