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From: terry@cs.weber.edu (A Wizard of Earth C)
Subject: Re: Restrictions on 'free' UNIX / 386BSD (Re: selling 386BSD)
Message-ID: <1992Aug18.020754.8683@fcom.cc.utah.edu>
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Organization: Weber State University (Ogden, UT)
References: <63DILTJ@taronga.com> <PHR.92Aug15214245@soda.berkeley.edu> <22221@venera.isi.edu>
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 02:07:54 GMT
Lines: 36
In article <22221@venera.isi.edu> allard@isi.edu (Dennis Allard) writes:
>So, you might argue, that prevents shrink wrapping since noone would
>buy it. I wonder about that. The advantages to shrink wrapping,
>viz., on the shelf availability, quality bound documentation, tech.
>support for registered owners, update mailing list membership, etc.
>are often worth the price of shrinkwrap, even if a free copy (or
>stolen copy, in the case of noncopyleft material) is avaiable at no
>charge.
>
>True, we don't see examples of shrinkwrapped copylefted stuff at
>the software houses. Maybe a publisher should give it a try!
The advantages you cite are for likelihood of distribution, not for either
the "publisher" (who want's to make a profit) or the software store (that
want's to make 40%-60%, based on market and willingness to move quantity).
How do you synchronize this with the $100 and/or "reasonable copying fee"
from the GPL? Charge $300 for the book?
Why should a commercial institution (like a software publishing company or
the stores at the other end of the marketing channel) push GCC when they
can push something else and turn $120 in profit? "For the benefit of
mankind"? Give me a break! Just because Stahlman has other sources of
revenue doesn't mean that I, as a publisher or store owner, do!
Terry Lambert
terry_lambert@gateway.novell.com
terry@icarus.weber.edu
---
Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present
or previous employers.
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terry@icarus.weber.edu
"I have an 8 user poetic license" - me
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