3db3368d@news.povray.org...
> It's a personal benefit. I have not given my files to the public domain,
> and I'd like to keep control of how and where they are distributed. That
> is not possible if people can distribute modified versions of my files
> as they please.

But people who don't put these sort of restrictions don't seem to suffer
from it. I certainly don't. So why the extra and unfriendly step ?

> Would you gain any profit from this? If yes, see above. If not, this
> might be a good situation to ask me for a special permission, since the
> situation is a bit special (commercial work where you don't get any
> profit yourself).

For me, while this type is reasoning makes sense at personal level ("I don't
want people to rip me off"), it is also an example of how things get out of
hand. If everyone acted like this, there would never have been a POV-Ray
community, and most people - including you and me - would never have been
acquainted with it.

Please, use your imagination and think hard about it : what if everyone was
doing that ? What sort of legalese hell would it be ?

> Still, there are people who both can and will pay for a license to use
> my files commercially, and I'd like to take that opportunity for *me* to
> make a few bucks on the work I have done. And I think it's only fair.

Come on... No one is making a living out of POV-Ray. We're spending money on
it. It cannot be used in the sort of professional environment that actually
brings money. Yes, there's the rare commissioned work, but selling posters
brings me, in average, a grand total of 15 Euros per image and per year. If
I'm using your macros in an image, how much do you want ? 1 Euro ? Sorry,
but it doesn't make much sense to depart from the tradition of exchange in
this community to get some pocket change. What sort of benefit is there in
it, for you and for everyone here ?

> As I've said, I can only appeal to people's honesty.

By requiring them to do it you imply that they're dishonest by default. It's
like putting "Customers, we remind you that you must pay for what you buy"
signs in a shop.

> I'm not sure what you mean by "selling my skills rather than the product
> itself".

I mean that the real value of your work is not in your macros but in your
skills. Unless your macros can be used as Maya plug-ins, you won't make
significant money out of them. However, by voluntarily limiting their
diffusion, you hurt yourself because of the lack of exposure you need as
someone with real 3D skills. If I was to make a commercial picture with them
(one which would end in a book or a record cover), THAT would mean real
advertising for your talent as a programmer, because I would certainly
credit you. In the past years, 3 companies have sent me free software for me
to use them and to be frank I'm the one who got ripped off because I
certainly made them make money :-)

> > OK, what if Chris Colefax, or Jaime or I start doing
> > the same... Or the POV-Team itself ? Anyone here want
> > to see that ?
>
> We surely couldn't blame them.

And we would never had this community. One thing that is great about it is
that people don't spend their time bitching about money lost and gained, and
who cheated who over what.
I saw the Poser community evolve that way, and it's ugly, but at least Poser
is a commercial product and there are people actually making a living out of
Poser-related products, so it's partly justified. This not the case for
POV-Ray.

> > Also, *** requiring *** people to give you credit
> > is too much to ask.
>
> Why? I think it's quite common tendency for free things on the net,
> isn't it?

Yes it's a trend and I don't see the point in following it. For all I know
it's only justified because people try to imitate the big names, possibly to
make themselves seem bigger. "Hey, I put an EULA on my crappy Poser prop,
I'm the next Bill Gates now". It's an ego trip and funnily enough it was
noted that the few real merchants offering freebies don't do it out of
respect for their customers, paying ones or not.
Again, there's nothing to lose by not doing it, it's simply more polite and
friendly.

G.

--

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http://www.oyonale.com
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- POV-Ray and Poser computer images
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