[pp.int.general] Why Free Software misses the point

[Maxime Rouquet]

Le 18/05/10 02:47, Boris Turovskiy a écrit :
> On 18.05.2010 03:34, Alexandre Leray wrote:
>> Isn't this distinction a cultural construction? I don't think 
>> software is only a functional product -- it is loaded with design and 
>> culture.
> BTW, what seems to get lost when this theoretical debate started is 
> the fact that computer games are software, too, but in any definition 
> are functionally closer to movies or music than to "functional" software.
That is because games are a lot of things put together : software, but 
also pictures, musics, movies… Each can and should be treated individually.

You can have the source code under a free software license and keep the 
original "no freedom" copyright on the data if you wish. Or, better, use 
a creative commons licence. And you can still register the name of your 
product.

I think some of what you could call design is treated by patents too, 
but as long as they can also forbid to anyone but you the use of the 
same functionalities than your program, they are too harmful.