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More Money For Better Open-Source Software

marijnhaverbeke.nl · 1,735 words · saved by 1 readers

As a programmer I create artifacts that, unlike classical commodities such as loaves of bread or toothbrushes, can be copied at zero cost. Fitting copyable things into the capitalist market economy is something of an unsolved problem. The standard model of commerce is to sell our products by the unit. But here, everyone who gets their hands on a single unit can create an infinite number of units, ruining our market. Thus, we've invented copyright, using the law to try and make the copyable less copyable, and allowing us to go back to the classical model of selling by the unit. Copyright is rather effective at protecting the interests of the producer of the copyable goods—it doesn't fully prevent copying, but it inhibits it enough to allow many authors, musicians, and software houses to turn a profit. Open source software (and similarly open-licensed works in other media) tilts the balance the other way—it leaves the consumer's ability to copy the works largely unconstrained. This is a

More Money For Better Open-Source Software Marijn Haverbeke's blog More Money For Better Open-Source Software Monday, June 22, 2015 open source community As a programmer I create artifacts that, unlike classical commodities such as loaves of bread or toothbrushes, can be copied at zero cost. Fitting copyable things into the capitalist market economy is something of an unsolved problem. The standard model of commerce is to sell our products by the unit. But here, everyone who gets their hands on a single unit can create an infinite number of units, ruining our market. Thus, we've invented copyr

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