From: Jim Choate <ravage@ssz.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 1998 22:27:32 +0800
To: cypherpunks@ssz.com (Cypherpunks Distributed Remailer)
Subject: Re: the best justice money can buy --Lessig (fwd)
Message-ID: <199802061421.IAA05806@einstein.ssz.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text



Forwarded message:

> Date: Fri, 6 Feb 1998 03:13:00 -0800 (PST)
> From: mark@unicorn.com
> Subject: Re: the best justice money can buy --Lessig (fwd)

> Jim Choate (ravage@ssz.com) wrote:
> >If there were no copyright nobody would have any reason to market software
> >or much else for that matter.
> 
> So I presume that Linux doesn't exist[1]? And, for that matter, I make my
> living writing software which is given away for free...
> 
> [1] Yes, I'm aware the GPL uses copyright to enforce its conditions, but
> it's copright-free in the important sense: anyone can copy Linux and use 
> it with no fear of black ninjas at their door.

A couple of other points.

I've never claimed the monopolization would exist over nite or that it
wouldn't be filled with short term conflicts and ups-n-downs. Only that the
*long-term* result is a monopolized market. A point you seem to gloss over
as irrelevant. Let's give the market another 5-10 years and see where Linux
stands. Right now the estimate is 6-10 million users world wide use it. Share
wise that isn't a lot. The reason that Linux garners so much press right now
is that it is in fact an exception when an organization uses the software
(eg NASA). The test will be whether it grows significantly over the long
run and not the 5 years that Linux has been a serious os.


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