Hi Guido,
Guido Serra guido.serra@gmail.com writes:
why should i invest into creating a toolchain improving freesoftware?
Red Hat invests in the GNU toolchain because it improves their related software. i.e. by improving GNU classpath, they were able to use all of the java-based features of OpenOffice.org 2.0.
AdaCore initially contributed to the GNU toolchain because they were contracted to do so by some government body (IIRC it was the USA army, maybe my memory is wrong). After that funding ran out, they continued the same work. Their new business model includes consultancy and training.
Other examples of business models are:
MySQL AB, who distribute their database under the GPL and also sell non-free licences. So if someone wants to distribute modified versions of their software without contributing the modifications back to the community, then they have to pay MySQL (and this funds the improvement of the free version of the database). TrollTech is another company with a similar business model.
Digium is a company that provides support and hardware for Asterix telephony/PBX systems.
G10 Code and Intevation are two other free software companies whose business model you could look at.
In the 1980s, Richard Stallman made money by offering to post copies of his software to people, for a fee. This services was worth paying for in the 1980s because network connections were rare and slow. Many GNU+Linux distributions used this business model in the 1990s, but today it is almost extinct because high-speed Internet connections are common.
Stallman's other source of income in the late 1980s (and early 90s, I think) was to give classes on GCC and Emacs.
Another very common free software business model is based on system integration - helping customers to install networks and various software packages and making everything work together. These companies help free software because they often find bugs and will either submit a bug report or a bugfix. Some of these companies even add new features and contribute those back to the free software project.
Choosing the right business model for you depends on your skills, and your contacts.
But GPLv3 won't substantially change the options available to you. GPLv3 will prevent some current activities of Tivo and Novell, but for everyone else, it will help their business because everyone can contribute knowing that everyone else will be playing fair.