LinuxSampler license, was Re: [linux-audio-dev] fst, VST 2.0, kontakt

[Patrick Shirkey]

Christian wrote:
> 
> 
> Unfortunately I haven't found an existing open source license which 
> would reflect those restrictions. Some even said this wouldn't be an 
> open source license according to definitions of XY, but personally I 
> think it would. So maybe we would have to write a new license, like a 
> "Participation License" or something which might also be used by other 
> projects in future of course.
> 
> Anyway, no decision is made as of today. But would be interesting to 
> know what you people think of it!
> 

If they really want to get people to give money then they should just 
make it so that you have to pay or contribute code/time for a while to 
get access to the newest downloads from their site. Keep the stable 
version far enough behind the development version that people will pay 
to get the newest code base.

Codeweavers use this kind of approach (although you can't get a stable 
version for free anywhere AFAIK) and I have also seen an even more 
aggressive approach used by the KVCD developers. It's very difficult to 
find easy to grok information about how to make a KVCD but you can get 
it easily and quickly for $4 from their "closed" forum. $4 or $5 can be 
handled by a lot more people than $300 - $2000 which some other similar 
software is selling for. BTW KVCD has a few thousand forum members.

It won't stop all the people who want to get a free copy but it should 
keep most of the freeloaders at bay. It will also serve to make the 
developers "appear" more professionally oriented to a non initiated user.

If they are not prepared to do something like that then they should just 
forget about trying to get a big company to give them any money because 
they will get eaten alive by lawyers as the FSF most probably won't be 
able to help them if they change the license.


Cheers.

-- 
Patrick Shirkey - Boost Hardware Ltd.
Http://www.boosthardware.com
Http://lau.linuxaudio.org - The Linux Audio Users guide
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"Anything your mind can see you can manifest physically, then it will 
become reality" - Macka B