Contribution agreements (Re: [sldev] What is the point offirstlook and giving feedback to LL)

Mike Monkowski monkowsk at watson.ibm.com
Wed May 7 14:17:45 PDT 2008


Richard M Stallman wrote:
...
> In other words, the free version of the same component should have all
> the features as the version you license out.
...
> Use of this criterion could help convince community developers to
> accept the possibility you would stop releasing free versions --
> because it would promise them that all of their code that you ever do
> use will be in one of your free versions (and most likely in the last
> one).

I don't get it.  If Linden were to include your criterion and then do 
the opposite, then developers would hate them, would stop contributing 
code, and someone may sue.  If Linden does not include the criterion, 
and does the opposite, then developers would hate them and would stop 
contributing code.

The difference is lawyers.  Somehow the assurance of being able to get 
lawyers involved would not convince me "to accept the possibility 
[Linden] would stop releasing free versions."

You argue that your criterion is not incompatible with Linden's 
policies, but compatibility is not a good enough reason to include it.

Mike



More information about the SLDev mailing list