[asterisk-biz] Fascinating conversation with a prospective customer

[Andrew Kohlsmith]

On Friday 05 January 2007 1:59 pm, Komnieve Singh wrote:
> But this all brings me back to my main point - when dealing with perceived
> intellectual rights - is it possible to not isolate people who feel some
> ownership of an idea thats been had by a multitude of people before them?
> How does one go about not insulting them, or not coming across as
> threatening while still being able to explain the benefits they can get by
> sharing 'their' idea? I haven't had good experience with avoiding the
> subject in its entirety.

That is specifically why when I provide a quote for work, I give them two 
prices: the price if I am going to GPL the code and contribute it back to the 
collective, and a much higher cost if they want to keep sole rights to the 
code.  In the latter case, I deliver a CD with their code on it, and I remove 
all copies of it from my own system.  If I have to redesign the same thing 
again for someone else, that's fine, but I don't just lift the code from 
their version.

To date, nobody has accepted the higher price quote.  It's amazing how their 
intellectual property concerns vanish when cost goes up.

-A.