*BSD News Article 88213


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From: mouth@ibm.net (Mouth of the South)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.linux.networking,comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.unix.bsd.misc,comp.os.ms-windows.nt.advocacy,comp.os.os2.advocacy
Subject: Re: GPL
Date: Mon, 03 Feb 1997 21:48:23 -0500
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References: <32DFFEAB.7704@usa.net> <32ED1866.34F02393@indiana.edu>
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In article <5d4u8s$5qk@halon.vggas.com>,
JYoungman@vggas.com (James Youngman) wrote:

>I can modify GCC and refuse to give it to you for less than $1,000,000.
>*If* I give this version to you, I *must* supply source and *you* are allowed
>to give it away for free.

That's it in a nutshell.  You can sell GPLed code for as much money as
you can find a buyer willing to pay.  But if the buyer is smart enough
to do it too, you just can't complain when they take your modifications
and sell the whole package again to someone else for an even higher (or
lower) price than you charged.

It's like a pyramid scheme, except that it's completely legal.  Anybody
call sell anything for any price whatsoever, with no restrictions at all.
That's another reason why GPL is so compelling.