[Asterisk-Users] RE: Business Edition

[Lee Howard]

Jay Milk wrote:

>Who is getting the better end of the deal?
>  
>

Well, Digium, of course.  I certainly hope that they've made way more 
money from Asterisk than I ever expect to save or make.  And I certainly 
expect that Digium has made way more money from Asterisk because they've 
open-sourced it than they ever could have hoped to make by not doing so.

>By OS'ing Asterisk, Digium has given many folks the means to earn a
>living
>

Yes, indeed, as well as themselves.

And all that I'm saying is that this is completely expected, natural, 
and fair.  I've no argument against this.

What I am saying, though, is that Digium didn't give out royalty-free 
proprietary licenses to Asterisk, instead, they gave out GPL licenses to 
Asterisk.  Why, then, do they require that contributions are made any 
differently?  Why do they require freedoms with contribution that they 
did not give with theirs?  Well, probably because they believe that 
they're owed that, and probably because many others in the community not 
unlike yourself agree with that opinion as well.

Lee.