[Fwd: Re: Charging ($20) for GPL source?]

[C.Grobmeier]

On Tue, 9 Jan 2007 08:59:25 +0100, Arnoud Engelfriet <arnoud at engelfriet.net> wrote:
> C. Grobmeier wrote:
>> However, i don't like high prices at source code, whether the gpl does
>> cover it or not. If one charges 10000$ for the source the source is
>> simply not open for me cause i can't buy it.
> 
> This is true. Eventually someone with more money will spend the $10,000
> and subsequently make it available for less than that. That ultimately
> drives the price down to zero (or a low enough number). It does take
> time, yes.
> 
> I don't see any mechanism by which any source will be made available
> to anyone at zero cost.

I agree. But i see that companys have true profit may give away the bin's with using GPL'd Software for free. They say thats a benefit for them to give em for free. 10000 Users download it, use it and thank the company for the software. 
However, if someone would like to see the code, the company says: hey, it's simply to expensive, please pay 500$. 

Why is it more expensive to distribute source code than bin's? If the company would say: "bins cost 30$ to download, sources too" i could accept this more easily. 

To make it clear again, i don't want everything to be free in the manner "free of any charge" but i don't understand the arguments of companys which have high (?) charges at the sourcecode but give the bins aways for free. (i exclude the bin distribution via hardware of reasons arnoud did mention).

However i guess this is a bit offtopic in the violationslist, please forgive me.

Cheers,
Chris