From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,577c9f9c0cdd76d X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: Hyman Rosen Subject: Re: Confusing language, was Re: Help help.. please.i am totaly new in ada programing Date: 1999/11/04 Message-ID: #1/1 X-Deja-AN: 544589396 Sender: hymie@calumny.jyacc.com References: <7vs4g9$7hs1@news.cis.okstate.edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Complaints-To: abuse@panix.com X-Trace: news.panix.com 941757481 27360 209.49.126.226 (4 Nov 1999 23:18:00 GMT) Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC Mime-Version: 1.0 User-Agent: Gnus/5.070096 (Pterodactyl Gnus v0.96) Emacs/20.3 NNTP-Posting-Date: 4 Nov 1999 23:18:00 GMT Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Date: 1999-11-04T23:18:00+00:00 List-Id: tmoran@bix.com writes: > It's been pointed out multiple times that free(libre) does not > imply free(gratis), so am I prevented from taking the GNAT source, > modifying it, say for MacOS, and charging for it (following the > same source code release requirements as ACT, of course)? Is > ACT prevented from charging for upgrades after the customer is > locked in? And ACT currently has a large support charge - what > prevents them from inflating it further once the customer is > locked in ? Or the same for any other vendor of "{open-systems} > {standard}s" software? You or ACT may do any of the above. The difference between free software and non-free software is that with free software, anyone else may do the same. Lock-in is possible only if no one else is interested in competing with the vendor attempting it. If someone is interested, then they have access to the full sources on the same footing as the original vendor.