Rony wrote:
In case of the former, one can charge any X amount from the client for making a customized package.
But in the latter, suppose I make a CAD software thats very good and works just like the popular closed CAD software. I post it on the net under GPL and keep a price of some 100s of dollars. Now some smart alec who is out to ruin my business compiles my code and even acknowledges my good work and puts the package on the net for a free download. He is doing a perfectly legal thing as the GPL allows this. So how do I run my company when my work is available to others for free as in beer.
When we consider such a scenario, the ratio of developers / programmers and customers (or end users) would result to less than 1 (< 1). By this, I mean, there are far more end-users than developers and programmers.
Again, if smart alec, put its on the internet, there would some investment, that would make him re-consider, putting it for free. Secondly, he would have to invest in advertising that he's put your software as free download. Considering the cost of $100, it would also indicate that you have some amount invested in good advertising and that your software is under GPL.
Even then considering the worst case scenario, Vinayak Suggested:
- Dual licensing source code for commercial use
(one of his points).
I found the following page descirbing dual licensing http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/duallicence2.xml
What Ubuntu does is, despite that it sends CD's for free (no cost) to anybody who demands its, provides supports for Ubuntu OS at desktop and server levels.
But this in turn indicates, that much of the Free software over the internet are indeed, also, free as in bear, especially Linux distros. Where is the source of money for maintaining mirrors / servers for ISO's of these distros?
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Hi Roshan,
On 10/10/06, Roshan d_rosh2001@yahoo.co.in wrote:
What Ubuntu does is, despite that it sends CD's for free (no cost) to anybody who demands its, provides supports for Ubuntu OS at desktop and server levels.
Ubuntu should be considered as a business in "Investment Phase", where business invests to create it's market share. I had a long discussion with Mark Shuttleworth on this when he was in India.
But this in turn indicates, that much of the Free software over the internet are indeed, also, free as in bear, especially Linux distros. Where is the source of money for maintaining mirrors / servers for ISO's of these distros?
This is termed as "Donation Economy". However, I am not in favour of such an economy. Such a economy is not sustainable over long period of time.
My 2 paisa.. :-) With regards,
On Tuesday 10 October 2006 16:50, Dinesh Shah wrote:
Ubuntu should be considered as a business in "Investment Phase", where business invests to create it's market share. I had a long discussion with Mark Shuttleworth on this when he was in India.
It's known as market seeding.
But this in turn indicates, that much of the Free software over the internet are indeed, also, free as in bear, especially Linux distros. Where is the source of money for maintaining mirrors / servers for ISO's of these distros?
Ads. Free resources on commercial servers used to attract potntial customers. So not all are charity.
This is termed as "Donation Economy". However, I am not in favour of such an economy. Such a economy is not sustainable over long period of time.
Absolutely. However in this case the donations are not out of some social guilty but plain business. It costs a lot less to host a server than it does to hire a team of developers / debuggers and a ware house full of hardware.
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Dinesh Shah -
jtd -
Roshan