Generating Income from Open Source

Post by zrail » Fri, Jun 16, 2023, 11:36 AM UTC

teddyh wrote: post #50

ThinkBeat wrote: post #42

[old person rant] There is nothing wrong with developing software and selling it. It used to be the norm and it is still quite common. These days "open source" is virtue signaling and expected "to be cool". That people then grump about not being paid shows that they are not particularly interested in the concept of open source. However, the term open source has been used for so many different things that is has lost…

> There is nothing wrong with developing software and selling it. Sure, but the FSF (and others) may have an opinion on the license given to the paying customers, in order to not restrict them. Otherwise, spot on; Open source is not a business model: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32287432 > https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31293455 >

Post by vram22 » Fri, Jun 16, 2023, 11:52 AM UTC

unmole wrote: post #54

jraph wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

WordPress, Nextcloud, XWiki, Univention, Passbolt are a few other profitable open source businesses doing well. It is possible to sell open source software :-) Now, maybe it's not as profitable, but not every wants to be as big as Apple or Microsoft.

I remember there was also a Prominent North American Enterprise Linux vendor. They were called Scarlet Caps or something similar.

Post by pcthrowaway » Fri, Jun 16, 2023, 12:09 PM UTC

unmole wrote: post #60

pcthrowaway wrote: post #44

While we're here, does anyone know if a sole proprietorship donating to OS projects for "sponsorship" (aka listing the donor company's name in the project's github) is deductible as Advertising expenses? Specifically wondering about Canada personally, but I'm sure people in the U.S. would benefit from this knowledge as well. Our tax law (in Canada) is so opaque, and I feel like finding ways for these monetary contrib…

> While we're here, does anyone know if a sole proprietorship donating to OS projects for "sponsorship" (aka listing the donor company's name in the project's github) is deductible as Advertising expenses? It is deductible in India. Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer, chartered accountant. Nothing I ever say should be construed as legal advice etc. > Our tax law (in Canada) is so opaque I was going to dismiss it as somethi…

    You can deduct expenses for advertising, including advertising in Canadian newspapers and on Canadian television and radio stations. You can also claim any amount you paid as a finder's fee.

    Certain restrictions apply to the amount of the expense you can deduct for advertising in a periodical. You can deduct all the expense if your advertising is directed at a Canadian market and the original editorial content in the issue is 80% or more of the issue's total non-advertising content.

    You can deduct 50% of the expense if your advertising in a periodical is directed at a Canadian market and the original editorial content in the issue is less than 80% of the issue's total non-advertising content.

    You cannot deduct expenses for advertising directed mainly at a Canadian market when you advertise with a foreign broadcaster.

Post by phkahler » Fri, Jun 16, 2023, 12:31 PM UTC

ThinkBeat wrote: post #42

[old person rant] There is nothing wrong with developing software and selling it. It used to be the norm and it is still quite common. These days "open source" is virtue signaling and expected "to be cool". That people then grump about not being paid shows that they are not particularly interested in the concept of open source. However, the term open source has been used for so many different things that is has lost…

Post by pydry » Fri, Jun 16, 2023, 12:42 PM UTC

Kinrany wrote: post #66

FiberBundle wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What is plain hypocrisy to me are the people who developed "for profit" open source projects, and are angry when they dont get paid enough, when the projects they have created rely on GNU tools, the Linux kernel (Perhaps Debian), a libre software database on so on. Why do you exclusively point out "for profit" open source projects here? What about basically any commercial software that leeches on open source softwa…

GP is pointing out that it's hypocritical to expect to be paid for open source contributions and at the same time pay nothing to upstream projects.