Subject: New developments in Novell's expose. (responses to previous post)
From: [email-masked] (William Devine)
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 1994 16:29:58 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce

[The previous post about Expose has been cancelled.]

    As everyone would expect i received a large amount of replies from my
previous post about Novell's Expose product.

    To date, the best one i have received was from Jim Winstead, jr.
His response has made me slightly rethink my previous posting and to
correct some incorrect logic included in it.
According to Jim, and this was verified by a few others, it is not
against the GPL to make a large profit off of GPL software, but they
are required to make it fully redistributable even if they do sell it for
a large sum of money.  I have had internet access since i was in high
school (i'm a senior in college now) and have never really thought about
others that pay for programs and the like that are freely available.
This was a new concept to me for a company to want to sale a product to
people that they could get for free with a cheap $30/month unix shell
account and ftp access.  Especially if they sold it for a good sum
of money.  
    This assumption that novell would not be stupid enough to do that
in that they would not sell a product that people could just give copies
away to others, made me assume (i know the 'ASS out of yoU and ME spiel')
that they would be restricting it's redistibution.  If they do not restrict
any redistibution then they are in full compliance of the GPL copyright and
may they go full speed ahead.
    
    Jim pointed out the best part of this whole thing is that if novell
successfully markets a product for Linux that it would show other large
software companies that this operating system is a good way for them to
make some money and that would get other companies to join in the development.
Maybe even diamond would let xfree work with their cards? :)  big hope though.

    If Jim is correct then let's all hold on to our seats because if Novell
comes out successful with their addition to linux (not replacement) then
our favourite operating system is going to be moving full speed ahead!

william

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