Paul de Weerd wrote:

quoted text
>

> Scenario A, this code is released under the BSD license. You can take

> it, improve it and never share your changes with anyone.

>

> Scenario B, this code is released under the GPL license. You can take

> it, improve it and never share your changes with anyone.

>

> Where is the difference ? How did you avoid the social failure you

> spoke of ?

>

> I'll tell you where the difference is (with an example). You can sell

> your changed version in scenario A but you can not sell it in scenario

> B (given the 'never share your changes with anyone'-part). But you can

> use it all you like.

>

You can sell it in both scenarios.

What you can not do in Scenario B is sell modified versions of someone

else's code without providing source.

Neither the BSD not GPL licenses do much to limit what you do for your

own use.

Any individual or business can use the code as they please for their own

internal purposes.
If your definition of freedom is the permitting others to profit from

your efforts WITHOUT atleast sharing their efforts with you

Then BSD licenses are more free.
If your definition of Freedom is ensuring that the freedoms you offered

to everyone you distributed to must be extended to anyone they

re-distribute to

then the GPL is more free.
Though for the life of me I can not understand why allowing a third

party to modify your work, refuse to share their modifications with

anyone and then

resell something that is primarily your work for their profit, is

somehow more free.
But the whole argument is just stupid. If you create something that is

copyrighted, as the author you are completely free to decide exactly what

rights beyond those of copyright you wish to extend.
One license is better than the other only to the extent that it better

reflects the wishes of the author.

As the author you can omit the license entirely - and just include

Copyright 2007 by Me. That preserves all available freedoms to the

author and entirely prohibits redistribution without permission.

Actually you can even omit the copyright notice too.
--

Dave Lynch 					  	    DLA Systems

Software Development:  				         Embedded Linux

717.627.3770 	       dhlii@dlasys.net 	  http://www.dlasys.net

fax: 1.253.369.9244 			           Cell: 1.717.587.7774

Over 25 years' experience in platforms, languages, and technologies too numerous to list.
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction."

Albert Einstein