this business model actually works

bill traynor btraynor-zC6tqtfhjqE at public.gmane.org
Sat Feb 21 15:17:05 UTC 2004


On Sat, 2004-02-21 at 09:39, fcsoft-3Emkkp+1Olsmp8TqCH86vg at public.gmane.org wrote:
> I make no claims that my private source ideas are original.
> 
> I'm simply struggling to find a business model which can revive the dying 
> (or dead) custom software industry in the GTA before it is too late.
> 
What do you mean by custom software?  I'd interpret that as a client
hiring me to write code for a specific itch that they have.  I'd also
expect that the client would have exclusive rights to all code I provide
them.  This sucks of cuorse, but it's the nature of being hired to
code.  Similarly, if I built a house for someone, I wouldn't expect to
have any rights to the house afterward.

> I maintain that for most custom software (which by definition has a limited 
> scope) this Community Licence or Private Source Licence scheme 
> retains most of the benefits of user control afforded by the Open Source 
> licences but at the same time provides a mechanism whereby the actual 
> developers and maintainers can get compensated.
> 
> Private source licences don't make sense for generic utilities and or 
> programming tools,    but they might make sense for a PHP/mySQL/C 
> code system to manage the local muffler shop franchise.

I've read the "developers dilemma" page and I think I prefer the dual
license model used by MySQL or SleepyCatSoftware, for now.  In that
model, clients have a choice of going with the GPL'd version of the
software, or the (for lack of a better term) the business user license. 
Yes, all changes the client makes if they choose the business user
license does not feed back to the community.  But it does allow a
company to prosper while developing open source software.  Technology
based differentiation for a client/company using any piece of software
is inherent in the modifications they make to it.  The core package is
usually considered commoditized, as anyone can buy it.  And who better
to make the changes then the company who wrote the original GPL'd code. 
NOTE: There's way more money in services than licenses or seats.  This
then allows a company like MySQL to continue to fund development on the
core package and release improvements back to the community.  I'm having
difficulty finding flaws in this model given the current conservative
nature of most coporate IT decision makers, but I'm open to hear
suggestions.

Also, I didn't go research this model or anything, so I may have it
slightly wrong, but I think I got the gist of it.

Thanks
Bill

> 
> Original Message:
> -----------------
> From: Henry Spencer henry-lqW1N6Cllo0sV2N9l4h3zg at public.gmane.org
> Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 13:46:05 -0500 (EST)
> To: tlug-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org
> Subject: Re: [TLUG]: this business model actually works
> 
> 
> On Fri, 20 Feb 2004, bob findlay wrote:
> > A while ago I proposed a variation of the open source model for 
> custom 
> > software which I called private source
> >         http://www.icanprogram.com/developersDilemma.html
> 
> If I'm not mistaken, this is at most a minor variant of traditional source
> licensing -- such as, for example, the terms on which Unix was originally
> licensed.
> 
>                                                           Henry Spencer
>                                                        henry-lqW1N6Cllo0sV2N9l4h3zg at public.gmane.org
> 
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