Query regarding Free Software Foundation (FSF) laws

[amitst]

I have just gone through the four freedom laws of software on www.gnu.org.

I have a query regarding the third law (freedom level 2). It says that if I sell a free software to a person, then that person is eligible to give away the (modified or original) copies of that software for free or for a price,

Doesn't the above law has an issue? If a person is putting efforts to build a program then shouldn't (s)he have right to distribute it? In presence of the above law, I can image that the person will earn money by selling only a single copy of his program and rest of the world will get the copies for free (from the person who has bought the program).

So isn't that injustice for the person who has put a lot of effort to build the program? Shouldn't (s)he be rewarded for it?

Of course I can't think of an alternate law so that the person is also rewarded and others also get the right to modify and sell/distribute the modified program.

:confused:

[antenna]

Sure, selling free software as a product isn't generally considered particularly viable because of this, so more focus tends to go on the support that can be attached to it.

If the author wants to be rewarded by selling the software as a product then they have the right to choose a different license of course, no injustice involved.

[CyberBob]

amitst,

The four freedoms are not laws - they are "freedoms." They liberate rather than restrict and the copyright law (and I am only familiar with U.S. law) enforces what the original author permits with the GNU GPL: that whomever conveys copies (modified or not) must give the same freedoms that they themselves received.

As far as earning money is concerned, there are many ways to earn money with free software - not just the business model of exchange and control of the software itself. How the software is packaged and distributed adds value, printed documentation adds value, providing services around the function of the software can add value, etc.

[amitst]

Thanks CyberBob and antenna,

I think I seem to get your point. As per CyberBob ideally every software that is useful to other people should be licensed with GPL, whereas antenna leaves that choice to the individual. As per FSF philosophy it is unethical not to distribute the software with the four freedom laws especially when it may be more useful for others after customization. So I think I agree with this philosophy.

amitst