hypothetical(?) GPL problem

[OP Mailserver user]

Hi,

On Wed, 20 Jun 2001 Marc Eberhard wrote:

 > On Wed, Jun 20, 2001 at 03:04:47PM +0200, Alessandro Rubini wrote:
> > 	http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/why-not-lgpl.html
> > That proves you wrong.

> I fully surrender. :-)
> 
> Seems that tactics and politics are more important then the original idea of
> freedom for software... I trust RMS having thought about this for quite a
> while, before suggesting to go along this way.


It is really a question of our aim (freesoftware for all uses) 
and the moral basis of our movement 
(that software is knowledge, and it is wrong to restrict knowledge).
This question emphasizes the extra dimension of freesoftware as opposed to  opensource.

The scenario presented should be seen as an oportunity not a threat.
The proprietatry software company is implicitly admitting that the freesoftware library is better.
The stick (law suit for licence infringement) should be less important than the carrot
(show them how to adapt their business to freesoftware).

RMS gave a lecture at the African Freesoftware Movement meeting at Witts University recently.
He was at pains to erase the idea that it is unprofitable to write freesoftware.

We need to show the business advantages of
1/using an entirely free software system
2/writing and supporting freesoftware.

Mixing free and proprietary software was only an opening gambit
to allow people to use freesoftware before a complete system was available.

Nick Hockings