Re: [DotGNU]DotGNU Manifesto - Draft Version 0.3

[Rhys Weatherley]

On Tuesday 15 April 2003 03:18 am, James Michael DuPont wrote:

> in order to get dotgnu into
> the existing business, you will need to have many interfaces into other
> systems. Non -free  and otherwise.
>
> That should be also a clear roadmap as to what is useable
> from the dotgnu system from a lgpl perspective. What parts can I use in
> a non-free system.

There is nothing stopping a non-free business from using DotGNU as they see 
fit.  The GPL is quite clear that businesses can use GPL'ed code internally 
with no redistribution conditions.  It is only once the code leaves the 
premises that the redistribution conditions activate.  Most businesses are 
consumers of software, not producers, and so there will be no problem with 
them using DotGNU.

I think you are mixing up software consumers with software producers.  
Software producers are held to a higher standard by the GPL, and that is the 
way it should be.  Whether we choose to allow non-free producers to use our 
system as a base is a separate issue from how software consumers use it.

Cheers,

Rhys.