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Re: Irony
- From: dewar at gnat dot com (Robert Dewar)
- To: dewar at gnat dot com, dyson at iquest dot net, fw at deneb dot enyo dot de
- Cc: espie at quatramaran dot ens dot fr, gcc at gcc dot gnu dot org, prj at po dot cwru dot edu
- Date: Sat, 30 Nov 2002 13:11:00 -0500 (EST)
- Subject: Re: Irony
> GPL doesn't guarantee access to source code either. Free software
> is about freedom of use and reuse, and not to give software a human
> characteristic or right. Something (a thing) that is free doesn't have
> special strings
> attached (or cost) for use or reuse. In a way, it is like an idea, where
> someone cannot compel you to give away your idea, but without
> restrictions, then the idea can be used. If the idea isn't free, then
> you have to pay a duty for the use or reuse. Costs of redistribution
> that include objects beyond what is in that distribution, disqualify
> that original object as being free. Costs of redistribution can include
> necessary redistribution of other objects, or even money.
This seems a bit confused. It seems to imply that Free Software should
have no or low costs. There is no such implication in the GPL. There is
no reason why you cannot sell a GPL'ed piece of software to someone and
charge them a million dollars.