[FSF India] Making money from GPLed (Free) Software

[Khuzaima A. Lakdawala]

Arun <arun@freedevelopers.net> writes:

> Hi vivek,
> 
>     I feel that in all of your writings you confuses between 
> GNU GPL, BSD, Free Software, Open Source etc. 
> 
> GNU GPL != Free Software, BSD is not anti Free Software.

Arun, it's not as "black & white" as that; it's a little more subtle.

A *developer* who truly believes in Free Software and acknowledges the
importance of the four kinds of freedoms, *must* publish his original
work under a copyleft license (GPL, LGPL). True, non-copyleft licenses
like the modified BSD license also provide the same freedoms, but,
without the protection of copyleft, the said software will almost
*certainly* be appropriated by someone somewhere down the line to deny
one or more of the four freedoms to others. That is unacceptable. The
various examples cited by Vivek in his posts should be sufficient to
warn you about the dangers of licensing your work using a non-copyleft
license.

On the other hand, an *end user* who knows the importance of *having*
the four kinds of freedoms can safely use any free software even if it
is licensed to him under a non-copyleft license like the BSD license,
*provided* he has no plans to further modify/enhance *and republish* the
software even though he has the freedom to so!

In other words, we must be circumspect in exercising our freedom, to
ensure that we don't end up depriving others of their freedom.

-- 
Khuzaima A. Lakdawala