On Mon, 24 Apr 2000 12:43:41 +0200, "Johannes Hubert" <jht### [at] mailacom>
wrote:
>If POV had a GNU license, you could take out parts of POV's code and
>integrate it into your own projects, as long as you distributed your
>application with the GNU license (and for free) too.
>This would help a lot of people that would like to integrate POV's
>parsing code into for example a modeller, which could then "read" POV
>files.
>
>The POV team would insofar loose its control over the applications into
>which their code is integrated, but it would not allow anyone to make
>money with the POV code, because the new product would also have to use
>the GNU license.

As far as I understand the GNU license, it doesn't prohibit people to
make money of a product covered by the license, and it was never the
idea behind it either.

This is borrowed from www.gnu.org:
************************************************************************
"Free software" is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the
concept, you should think of "free speech", not "free beer."

"Free software" refers to the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute,
study, change and improve the software. More precisely, it refers to
four kinds of freedom, for the users of the software: 

The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0). 
The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs
(freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this. 
The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor
(freedom 2). 
The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to
the public, so that the whole community benefits. (freedom 3). Access
to the source code is a precondition for this. 
A program is free software if users have all of these freedoms. Thus,
you should be free to redistribute copies, either with or without
modifications, either gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to
anyone anywhere. Being free to do these things means (among other
things) that you do not have to ask or pay for permission. 
************************************************************************

Sven-Erik Andersen
----
sve### [at] andersenas
sea### [at] mailcitycom
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Program/2549/

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