Re: Signatories to the Declaration of Software Freedom

["Anil K. Pillai" <anil@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 2 Mar 2001, Atul Chitnis wrote:

> On Fri, 2 Mar 2001, Raju Mathur wrote:
> 
> > Yes.  /Intellectual/ property.  I believe that vital drugs should be
> > made available at manufacturing cost.
> 
> I agree with this.
> 
> > I believe that music should be free for all to hear, not only to those
> > who're willing to give their money to robber-baron music companies.
> 
> I do not agree with this. The robber-baron is *not* the author (whose
> decision free/non-free should be).
> 
> If (for example) Paul McCartney puts out a song and says "this is free",
> there should be nothing in his way to do this, and I should be able to
> download and listen to it for free.
> 
> If on the other hand he says "I want to be paid a dollar for this", then
> this is OK with me as well, because I know that I am paying the artist,
> not a robber baron.
> 
> Stephen King made this concept clear with his recent exploration into
> ebooks, which (while not a raving success) did prove the viability of this
> approach.
> 
> We cannot *enforce* free'ness (speech, beer). It is a priviledge that the
> actual author bestows on his work, and *that* we should honour.
> 
> I am not a professional license advicate, so my perception of things may
> be different, but this is the way I see it, anyway.
> 
> Atul

And how I wish you enlighten us with your knowledge of Linux too for a
change. No offence meant though.

Anil.