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List:       gphoto-devel
Subject:    Re: [gphoto-devel] Re: gPhoto2 licensing clarification (was Re:
From:       Richard Stallman <rms () santafe ! edu>
Date:       2000-08-28 6:04:49
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    people have bought cameras for Linux because gPhoto supported them. it
    is already (and has been) to the point where people are buying simply
    because of support.

This supports my point.  If gPhoto supports *only* the cameras that
have free drivers, more and more people will buy only the cameras that
have free drivers.  But if gPhoto allows non-free drivers, the camera
companies will tell people "Sure, gPhoto works with this camera [using
the non-free driver]", and people will buy those cameras anyway.

    The camera companies are already benefiting from
    gPhoto regardless of them opening up their specs or not. Kodak (who
    provides specs) is benefiting just as much as Canon (who laughs in our
    faces and tells us our fathers smell of elder-berries ;P).

Canon does not cooperate with us, but we DO have a free driver for the
Canon cameras.  You can use gPhoto with the Canon camera using only
free software, even though Canon gets no credit for making that
happen.

If we allow non-free drivers, then next time Canon changes their
camera interface, instead of a free driver developed without Canon's
help, we are likely to have a non-free driver developed by Canon.

We could try to reverse engineer that new interface just as we did the
old one.  But what if we nobody wants to do it, because people are
willing to tolerate using the non-free driver?  It could pre-empt the
field.  Or what if Canon has patented the interface, and makes us
discontinue the free driver after it is developed?  Our only
countermeasure would be encouraging people not to buy from Canon.
We need to be able to do this effectively.

There are two factors that can pressure a company to cooperate with us:

1. The advantages of having their driver included in gPhoto
and our help in maintaining it.

2. The need to make their cameras work with gPhoto so GNU/Linux users
will buy them.

Given that Kodak, a major company, is already cooperating with us,
word should get around in the industry about the benefit of #1.  Canon
will evaluate how much that benefit matters to them.  If that is
enough to persuade Canon, it will do so whether or not we change the
gPhoto license.

But if #1 is not enough to persuade Canon, then sticking with the GPL
gives us #2 as a backup.  As GNU/Linux gets more popular, #2 will get
stronger and stronger.  Eventually they will give in and cooperate
with us.

Now is not the time to make a concession on non-free drivers.

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