Hello all,

   Recently I have run into yet another company who is 'dual licensing' a
GPL based code base.  In my estimation, none of the principles that these
companies base their business on is sound.  In essence, they are somehow
reserving special rights to a GPL project, and selling those rights as a
product( typically packaged with support services ).  In many cases, I am
obliged to publish any additions I make to the code base( as is proper to
the GPL ), but under some unstipulated clause they are allowed to sell
rights not only to the code base, but to the additions that I have committed
back to the 'community'.  Something doesn't make sense here, and the real
basis of the problem is there is no legal precedence in this area at all.
It almost feels like a scam that is harnessing the public energy and input
towards personal( or corporate ) profit.  Once the code is GPL it is public
and no person or entity reserves the right to license the code in any way(
at least that is my understanding ).

   Has anyone used a dual license scheme successfully?  or dealt with a
company such as the one I describe above?  Did you buy the 'commercial
license' version of a GPL project?  Were you happy with the product?

Thanks,   jmz


-- 
.0000. communication.
.0001. development.
.0010. strategy.
.0100. appeal.

JOSHUA M. ZEIDNER
IT Consultant

++power; ++perspective; ++possibilities;
( 602 ) 490 8006
jjzeidner@gmail.com