Re: [Trisquel-users] [OT] Charging for source code

[onpon4]

The price does still need to be reasonable. If someone did charge a billion  
dollars, it realistically is never going to be bought by anyone. (If it's  
bought by a billionaire, that billionaire probably isn't going to give it  
away to the public, either.) And of course, if more money than exists in the  
world is charged, it is impossible for the source code to be obtained. It's  
fine if the binaries are the same ridiculous price as the source code; after  
all, they are not obligated to share the program in the first place. But if  
the source code is only available for a price that is never realistically  
going to be paid, such as a billion dollars, while the binary is available at  
a reasonable price, such as $20, in practice it is as if the program is  
non-free, because nobody gets the source code.

That's why people who buy binaries need to be allowed a copy of the source  
code for no charge beyond the cost of delivery. You specified that in the  
first post, so that's a perfectly fine circumstance. But I don't see the  
point. If you're going to give anyone who has bought a copy of the binary a  
copy of the source code, why not just include it when you give them the  
binary? You can still charge for "source only", and perhaps charge more for  
binaries plus source code.