From: bfishman AT es DOT com (Barry Fishman) Subject: Re: Cygnus Cygwin32 Press Release 1/21/97 12 Feb 1997 01:19:02 -0800 Approved: cygnus DOT gnu-win32 AT cygnus DOT com Distribution: cygnus Message-ID: References: <199702102213 DOT OAA00787 AT andare DOT fugue DOT com> Original-To: gnu-win32 AT cygnus DOT com In-Reply-To: Ted Lemon's message of Mon, 10 Feb 1997 14:13:57 -0800 X-Mailer: Gnus v5.4.11/Emacs 19.34 Original-Sender: owner-gnu-win32 AT cygnus DOT com Discussion of Cygnus's actions really belongs in the gnu.misc.discuss news group, but for those who have not followed that group: I think the standard FSF position would be that Cygnus is behaving fairly. The GPL licence allows anyone to use gnu-win32 in developing their own software and sell [Yes, I said sell] programs linked with it for whatever price they like. The only restriction is that they (like Cygnus) put their software under the GPL so their customers have access to the source and can freely distribute it (as Cygnus allows them). Cygnus is now adding that if you want to develop software while restricting access to the source and redistribution rights (what the FSF calls hoarding), they will not stop you. They just want a share of the action. I did not get the impression that they were going to produce a separate proprietary version of their software. Personally, I am grateful to be able to use the software and have learned a great deal about win32 by the discussions in this mailing list and access to the sources. Any profits Cygnus makes from the software I see as an assurance to me that it will continue to support it. If you have problems with FSF approach to software development, you are being given an alternative way to make use of their software. I don't see where anyone has reason to be upset. Barry Fishman bfishman AT es DOT com - For help on using this list, send a message to "gnu-win32-request AT cygnus DOT com" with one line of text: "help".