Maybe the problem is the fact that GPL allows mere resellers (and other plain content/original work thieves) who don’t add value, nor contribute positively in any way, to make money off the work of good developers who contribute, expand, enhance faithfully community efforts. That said, it seems there is a tacit agreement that it’s a minor issue, otherwise it would have been modified by now.

The point is that if he wants to keep full, exclusive ownership and reselling rights (which he may not have wanted initially) for his good work, he should use a platform that permits this. Other CMS do. Otherwise, he should adopt GPL.

People who travel a lot know that rules, laws, vary widely around the Earth, with the land you step on. For instance, one may drink at 18 but only drive at 21 in France; And it’s the opposite in the US. Would Chris say “well, but in my conscience, I feel this is a bad law”? Whatever a person decides to do, they should make sure it is legal where they tread… If you don’t like the law, pick another land.

To reuse Chris’s words against his own case, if there is no WordPress, there is “no flow”.

In short, if he doesn’t want the GPL, he can choose another platform, as Matt suggested.

But Chris wants the milk, the butter and the creamer. He wants to be on WordPress, because the platform has a huge following, and hence a wider audience and buyers market ($2-3M worth so far), but he doesn’t want to abide by the terms of the platform.

Name the elephant, please: money! And it’s okay… Just make themes for SharePoint

While Matt may have every right to uphold the GPL license, as it applies to WordPress; I think Matt should consider a few ways that “he” might be able to continue his innovation in terms of licensing; for the benefit of everyone that uses WordPress, and the software designed to work with WordPress.

In other words, maybe what the WordPress community needs, is a new license. I can understand the importance of keeping things open source; but the best developers out there, need to be compensated as well. This day in age, you can’t ask a company that is developing a high-end application on top of WordPress to release everything as GPL; they would be crazy to do so. They’d be better off developing on top of something else, besides WordPress.

I don’t think it’s a good idea to ask developers to create on top of a different platform. There needs to be a more modern license that can be applied to both open source, and still leave room for commercial software applications too.

I think the point Chris Pearson made; with respect to a gaming console; is a very good analogy. Instead of arguing, why not try to come up with a license that works for everyone. After all, the GPL is all about freedom. I don’t think Chris Pearson, and others like him.. feel all that free right now.

I’m all for it to be freely distributed (cheapo me here) but I’m all for any creative individual to be remunerated for their efforts.

I’m torn in between here, and the lack of resolution amplifies that.