Re: Virtually Zero-Overhead Object Management is neither free software nor open source software

[Anthony Williams]

J de Boyne Pollard <j.deboynepollard@tesco.net> writes:

> CT> Can I download Hoard, make some changes, post the source
> CT> code free of charge, ...
>
> AW> Yes, because it's licensed under the GPL.
>
> CT> ... and charge a fee for a commercial product that uses a
> CT> function offered by the compiled binary of the modified
> CT> source code?
>
> AW> Not under the GPL license.
>
> Incorrect.  Come now!  This is a GPL Frequently Given Answer.  The
> correct answer, which you will find at <URL:http://fsf.org./licensing/
> licenses/gpl-faq.html#DoesTheGPLAllowMoney>, as well as on Hoard's own
> web site at <URL:http://prisms.cs.umass.edu./emery/index.php?
> page=frequently-asked-questions-2>, is that one can sell a product
> that incorporates free software, such as Hoard, as long as that
> product is itself free software.  In other words, the product
> incorporating the code must, overall, provide users with the same four
> freedoms from the Free Software Definition that the incorporated code
> does.

My assumption was that when Chris said "charge a fee for a commerical product"
he meant a CLOSED SOURCE product, or at least one that wasn't itself GPL.

Anthony
-- 
Anthony Williams
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