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Making The GPL Easier For Companies To Swallow
stupidNewbie writes "There is a new GPL "wrapper" gaining momentum on Capitol Hill. Dubbed O-STEP, the Open Source Threshold Escrow Program allows vendors to license their products until so many millions are made, then agree to release the code under GPL. This sounds like a good bridge for companies looking to tap into the strengths of open source distribution." Starting from zero, it can certainly gain momentum quickly -- sounds like a good idea though.
Well, anything is better than no consideration of the GPL at all..
I am sure that with the propper acountants anyone can always break even and never make any money.
Get a free ipod.
Great, so I want to get on the good side of the government and big companies by signing up for this license. I think I'll just set my target for $10 billion so I don't have to worry about it ever actually going open source, god forbid
But the point is, the amount is declared up front. The buyer sees that the seller won't open up until he makes 10bil, and another that is looking to make 150mil, then he looks at the 150mil knowing it will go open source sooner, and his costs of licensing will go down on an already installed infrastructure.
I don't know if this really is the way to go, and at first I though, 'eh, sounds silly'. But the more I looked at it, the more interesting it is. The one thing that I DO like about it, is the fact that it assumes that being 'open source' is important and desirable to the end user. While appearant to you and I, to other consumers who don't know or care what OSS is, it exposes them to the idea.
As to the application of it, I have always thought that Microsoft should release the source for DOS 6.x and 16 bit versions of Windows. Of course, the time to do it would have been when 98 came out.
Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
It's based on sales, not on net income. It's a bit harder to arrange to never show any sales, and still survive as a company.
The idea is for major customers to demand this, not for companies to be interesting in doing it on their own. There are no benefits at all for the producer in this system, except that you may be excluded from consideration by major customers if you don't play along.
DOOM?
Quake?
Guarenteeing that software which recieves a certain level of popularity becomes Open Source means that the community can pick up development where the company left off.
There is always the danger that a company will cease to support a product which has become integral to your operation. This is one of the much touted benefits of Open Source - self and community support. This guarentees that sort of support in the long term while ensuring that the companies get there profits.