diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/scrap1_10.html')
| -rw-r--r-- | talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/scrap1_10.html | 243 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 243 deletions
diff --git a/talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/scrap1_10.html b/talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/scrap1_10.html deleted file mode 100644 index 6b36f2d..0000000 --- a/talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/scrap1_10.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,243 +0,0 @@ -<!-- This is the second edition of Free Software, Free Society: Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman. - -Free Software Foundation - -51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor - -Boston, MA 02110-1335 -Copyright C 2002, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc. -Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire book are permitted -worldwide, without royalty, in any medium, provided this notice is -preserved. Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations -of this book from the original English into another language provided -the translation has been approved by the Free Software Foundation and -the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all -copies. - -ISBN 978-0-9831592-0-9 -Cover design by Rob Myers. - -Cover photograph by Peter Hinely. - --> - - - <a name="Selling-Free-Software"> - </a> - <h1 class="chapter"> - 10. Selling Free Software - </h1> - <a name="index-selling_002c-free-software-2"> - </a> - <p> - Many people believe that the spirit of the - <a name="index-GNU_002c-GNU-Project-4"> - </a> - GNU Project is that you -should not charge money for distributing copies of software, or that -you should charge as little as possible—just enough to cover -the cost. This is a misunderstanding. - </p> - <p> - Actually, we encourage people who redistribute free software -to charge as much as they wish or can. If this seems surprising to -you, please read on. - </p> - <p> - The word “free” has two legitimate general meanings; it can refer -either to freedom or to price. When we speak of “free software,” -we’re talking about freedom, not price. (Think of “free speech,” -not “free beer.”) Specifically, it means that a user is free to run -the program, change the program, and redistribute the program with or -without changes. - </p> - <p> - Free programs are sometimes distributed gratis, and sometimes for a -substantial price. Often the same program is available in both ways -from different places. The program is free regardless of the price, -because users have freedom in using it. - </p> - <p> - Nonfree programs are usually sold for a high price, but sometimes a store will give you a copy at no charge. That doesn’t make it free software, though. Price or no price, the program is nonfree because users don’t have freedom. - </p> - <p> - Since free software is not a matter of price, a low price doesn’t make -the software -free, or even closer to free. So if you are redistributing copies of free -software, you might as well charge a substantial fee and - <em> - make -some money. - </em> - Redistributing free software is a good and -legitimate activity; if you do it, you might as well make a profit -from it. - </p> - <a name="index-call-to-action_002c-raise-funds"> - </a> - <a name="index-development_002c-fundraising-1"> - </a> - <p> - Free software is a community project, and everyone who depends on it -ought to look for ways to contribute to building the community. For a -distributor, the way to do this is to give a part of the profit to free software development projects or to the - <a name="index-FSF_002c-how-you-can-help-3"> - </a> - <a name="index-development_002c-fundraising-2"> - </a> - <a name="index-development_002c-contributions-and-donations-2"> - </a> - Free Software Foundation. This way you can -advance the world of free software. - </p> - <p> - <em> - Distributing free software is an opportunity to raise funds for development. Don’t waste it! - </em> - </p> - <p> - In order to contribute funds, you need to have some extra. If you -charge too low a fee, you won’t have anything to spare to support -development. - </p> - <a name="Will-a-Higher-Distribution-Price-Hurt-Some-Users_003f"> - </a> - <h3 class="subheading"> - Will a Higher Distribution Price Hurt Some Users? - </h3> - <p> - People sometimes worry that a high distribution fee will put free -software out of range for users who don’t have a lot of money. With -proprietary software, a high price does exactly that—but free software -is different. - </p> - <p> - The difference is that free software naturally tends to spread around, -and there are many ways to get it. - </p> - <p> - Software hoarders try their damnedest to stop you from running a -proprietary program without paying the standard price. If this price -is high, that does make it hard for some users to use the program. - </p> - <p> - With free software, users don’t - <em> - have - </em> - to pay the -distribution fee in order to use the software. They can copy the -program from a friend who has a copy, or with the help of a friend who -has network access. Or several users can join together, split the -price of one CD-ROM, then each in turn can install the software. A high -CD-ROM price is not a major obstacle when the software is free. - </p> - <a name="Will-a-Higher-Distribution-Price-Discourage-Use-of-Free-Software_003f"> - </a> - <h3 class="subheading"> - Will a Higher Distribution Price Discourage Use of Free Software? - </h3> - <a name="index-selling_002c-and-distribution-fees"> - </a> - <p> - Another common concern is for the popularity of free software. People -think that a high price for distribution would reduce the number of -users, or that a low price is likely to encourage users. - </p> - <p> - This is true for proprietary software—but free software is -different. With so many ways to get copies, the price of distribution -service has less effect on popularity. - </p> - <a name="index-call-to-action_002c-develop-more-free-software"> - </a> - <p> - In the long run, how many people use free software is determined -mainly by - <em> - how much free software can do, - </em> - and how easy it -is to use. Many users do not make freedom their priority; they -may continue to use proprietary software if -free software can’t do all the jobs they want done. Thus, if we want -to increase the number of users in the long run, we should above all - <em> - develop more free software. - </em> - </p> - <a name="index-manuals_002c-need-for-2"> - </a> - <a name="index-call-to-action_002c-write-free-documentation"> - </a> - <p> - The most direct way to do this is by writing needed -free software or manuals yourself. But if you do -distribution rather than writing, the best way you can help is by - <a name="index-call-to-action_002c-raise-funds-1"> - </a> - raising funds for others to write them. - </p> - <a name="The-Term-_0060_0060Selling-Software_0027_0027-Can-Be-Confusing-Too"> - </a> - <h3 class="subheading"> - The Term “Selling Software” Can Be Confusing Too - </h3> - <p> - Strictly speaking, “selling” means trading goods for -money. Selling a copy of a free program is legitimate, and we -encourage it. - </p> - <p> - However, when people think of “selling software,” -they usually imagine doing it the way most companies do it: making the -software proprietary rather than free. - </p> - <p> - So unless you’re going to draw distinctions carefully, the way this -article does, we suggest it is better to avoid using the term -“selling software” and choose some other wording instead. -For example, you could say “distributing free software for a -fee”—that is unambiguous. - </p> - <a name="High-or-Low-Fees_002c-and-the-GNU-GPL"> - </a> - <h3 class="subheading"> - High or Low Fees, and the GNU GPL - </h3> - <a name="index-GPL_002c-high-or-low-fees-and"> - </a> - <p> - Except for one special situation, the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL) -has no requirements about how much you can charge for distributing a -copy of free software. You can charge nothing, a penny, a dollar, or -a billion dollars. It’s up to you, and the marketplace, so don’t -complain to us if nobody wants to pay a billion dollars for a -copy. - </p> - <p> - The one exception is in the case where binaries are distributed -without the corresponding complete source code. Those who do this are -required by the GNU GPL to provide source code on subsequent request. -Without a limit on the fee for the source code, they would be able set -a fee too large for anyone to pay—such as a billion -dollars—and thus pretend to release source code while in truth -concealing it. So in this case we have to limit the fee for source in order -to ensure the user’s freedom. In ordinary situations, however, there -is no such justification for limiting distribution fees, so we do not -limit them. - </p> - <p> - Sometimes companies whose activities cross the line stated in the GNU -GPL plead for permission, saying that they “won’t charge -money for the GNU software” or such like. That won’t get them anywhere -with us. Free software is about freedom, and enforcing the GPL is -defending freedom. When we defend users’ freedom, we are not -distracted by side issues such as how much of a distribution fee is -charged. Freedom is the issue, the whole issue, and the only issue. - <a name="index-selling_002c-free-software-3"> - </a> - <a name="index-selling_002c-and-distribution-fees-1"> - </a> - </p> - <hr size="2"/> - |