Software should be free, but not autographs

[Bill Ricker]

Ho hum.  If RMS started charging for grapes at SciFi conventions, that
would be shocking.

For FSF to charge for souvenir celebrity autograph/photo as a
fund-raiser, hey, whatever works. When you don't charge for your
primary IP output, fundraising has to be creative. Since the death of
dialup and the ubiquity of distros, they're probably not getting many
$10 tape handling fees.

F/LOSS licensing is appropriate for source code, but as has been noted
in the Debian dispute over the GFDL, licensing of other forms of IP
gets into other issues. Maddog is carfully protecting Linus's rights
in his eponymous trademark, as he should. Celebrities -- among which
RMS can be counted -- have certain rights to their "image", whjch is
worthy of protection. For RMS to use that for the good of the mission,
as Linux, maddog, and the LMI are with the trademark, makes good
sense.

--
Bill
n1vux at arrl.net bill.n1vux at gmail.com