Warp  wrote in message <487d2eed@news.povray.org>:
>   Btw, it's actually surprising how many people don't actually know that
> GPL software can be sold for money. To many people that info comes as a
> surprise.

That may be true, but the FSF has never made any mystery about it.

The point is that you can hardly just sell software that can be downloaded
gratis from the web.

If the people who insist on non-commercial redistributions are worried about
unscrupulous scoundrels re-selling their code in a box to uninformed
clients, a clause insisting that anyone distributing the software must
clearly state it can be also downloaded gratis on the official web site
would do the trick just as well. And such a clause would be perfectly
compatible with any definition of libre software.

The whole point to be able to sell libre software is to be able to sell it
as part of a service. That service can be as trivial as sending a CD-ROM to
a place where broadband Internet access is not available, and the fee will
be very small. Or that service can be a complete software solution for a big
society, with customization to particular needs and maintenance contracts.

But it is very important that it is possible to do business around libre
software.

This is the absolute prerequisite for big companies to invest money in libre
software, such as paying full-time developers or providing hardware to
projects.

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