mehul wrote:
On 10/8/06, Rony wrote:
If I own a software company, how do I make money if my software is OSS and anyone can compile the code and sell copies of the same without I getting any share of it? Is too much freedom dangerous?
IMO, quality is your USP in this case, if you can provide quality people will be ready to pay it's price. Well those who want the software free of cost will get it by hook or crook (read piracy). These people are out of consideration. So, it won't matter if your software is Open Source or proprietory when it comes to quality people will be ready to buy it. So, Open Source should rather help as the code is open and can be trusted by the customers.
In GPL, anyone is free to use / distribute / resell / modify -> redistribute the modified code or give everything away for free. Before I explain my point, I want to distinguish between customized softwares made for individual clients and general purpose softwares for everyone, those that can be simply downloaded and used by anyone concerned.
In case of the former, one can charge any X amount from the client for making a customized package.
But in the latter, suppose I make a CAD software thats very good and works just like the popular closed CAD software. I post it on the net under GPL and keep a price of some 100s of dollars. Now some smart alec who is out to ruin my business compiles my code and even acknowledges my good work and puts the package on the net for a free download. He is doing a perfectly legal thing as the GPL allows this. So how do I run my company when my work is available to others for free as in beer.
Regards,
Rony.
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