Re: [Ekiga-list] Ekiga use license (commercial use?) & Ekiga/Diamondcard software questions

[Stuart Gathman <stuart gathman org>]

On 10/16/2013 01:55 PM, zanaglen aol com wrote:

So, then, where the license says "The act of running the Program is not restricted" is where it grants the rights for anyone to use the software to make & receive phone calls for commercial purposes? (in order to make a profit)

Do I have that correct?

(To be clear, in my above question, I'm not referring to making money off of the actual software itself, in any way.)

I'm not sure what is meant by "output from the Program" in the above license quote.  Would someone be able to interpret and briefly summarize what that means?  (I want to understand whether or not that part applies to me.)

Output from the program refers to meta-programs.  :-)  I.e. programs like compilers, code generators, etc. - software that writes software.  As a (not real) example, suppose Ekiga had a button labelled "Copy Me!", which created a nice installer for ekiga to send to someone else.  (That is a trivial - in theory - example of software that writes software.)  That copy would be subject to GPL.

Note that there is *no* restriction on selling, or making a profit by distributing the program.   You simply *must* provide the source code (free or at nominal charge) when doing so.  If you were to get ekiga all configured, with a really easy installer, then you could conceivably sell it - provided you include, or make easily available, the source for ekiga *and* any modifications to ekiga.  Of course, a competitor can use the source to create a competing product - so you have to have some other factor that would make customers want to buy *yours*.  Maybe your support or warranty - as suggested in the licence itself.  Perhaps you have a book or manual to go with it that details your sales techniques.

The GPL is *not* against profit.  It is against using restricted source code as a "lock-in".  GPL software can be, and is part of profitable businesses.  They just need other sorts of "lock-in".