[CLUG] Licencing...

[adam beecher]

[ ILUG users please copy me off-list. Ta. ]

I've ploughed through a rake of documents on open source licencing this
evening - opensource.org, gnu.org, hecker.org, etc - and I'm still none the
wiser. I guess I'll eventually get my head around it, but by then it may be too
late - I need to start thinking about licencing and a business model, and I
would like to choose one of each ASAP. So do I use Gnu GPL? BSD-style?* With
advertising or without? Artistic? MozPL? ... ??? My open source and coders
sensibilities tell me the GPL is the way to go. But my business mind leans
heavily toward something else. But what?

And then there's the business model. After all, I'm no Stallman, and I never
will be. I'm a businessman when you get right down to it, and I want to make
some bloody money for all my graft. So should I be or do: "Support Seller",
"Loss Leader", "Widget Frosting", "Accessorizing", "Service Enabler", "Brand
Licensing", "Sell It, Free It", "Software Franchising" ... ??? "Support Seller"
I like. But I also like "Sell it, free it". The rest, neaah, I haven't even
looked into them properly. I don't have *time* to plough through the mish-mash
of related documents.

But if you have the time and the inclination, I'd like to hear some opinions.
Real-world examples and plain-english explanations would be nice too. Even
pointers to resources that could help me choose. However - and I really mean
this - I *DON'T* want a purists open source rant. Like I said, I'm a
businessman, not RS, and the bank balance comes first. But I'm also a *snigger*
programmer - who's read up a little on open source, and likes the concept - and
I would like to open source something myself. So how do I distribute - and
reap - the benefits of open source and still maximise profit?

And if you think I'm off-topic - and I don't think I am - don't flame me, just
ignore me. Or do it off-list at least.

Yours, with my thanks in advance,
Confused of Cork


* Sorry. Easier than spelling it out.