5 ms·

You can sell a library just as well as any other piece of software I think.

freeone3000 6y ago
Not really. Your market is different. Instead of selling to business managers seeking to solve a problem, you're selling to developers. Developers tend to like solving problems themselves, and you're competing versus free.
- chrisrhoden 6y ago
  The definition being used here for libraries and services has both being marketed to developers. We're talking about APIs, not a web product with a UI etc. Services, in this article, doesn't refer to things that can only be built as services (e.g. because it queries a proprietary dataset) but those that might optionally be built as services (e.g. fetching and processing otherwise accessible data) and could, as easily, be built as a library.
- selfhoster11 6y ago
  There's an ecosystem of paid libraries and tools around Java and C#. While developers might like to solve problems of their own, standards compliance is one place that they likely wouldn't want to tread their own path if they can help it. They've got work to do, and deadlines.
- pjmlp 6y ago
  On the Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, Apple and Google developer ecosystems there are plenty of shops selling libraries. Basically where most devs selling commercial software live on.
- 0xbadcafebee 6y ago
  You can totally sell libraries to business managers. You can sell sauteed rat's assholes on a stick to business managers, you just need the right sales pitch.
vbezhenar 6y ago
Stealing a library is easier than stealing a service.
- luismedel 6y ago
  Yes. I suppose it’s the same with installable software. But it sells anyway.
  - vbezhenar 6y ago
    One example of this is computer games. There are games like StarCraft 2, Diablo 3, where server is required even for solo-playing and it's not possible to play offline. I think that one of the reasons is to make it harder to crack a game (as you would need to re-implement server) and to make a cracked game objectively worse (as your implementation will not be as polished).
- pjmlp 6y ago
  And a crime in both cases. https://www.bsa.org/ https://www.bsa.org/
  - M2Ys4U 6y ago
    > And a crime in both cases. Copyright infringement is very rarely a crime.
    - pjmlp 6y ago
      Pirating goes beyond copyright infringement in my jurisdiction.
- PeterisP 6y ago
  Including a stolen library you in commercial software that you distribute is easy to do but also easy to detect, so it only means that you're willing to pay a triple of the price in damages.
  - 6y ago
malkia 6y ago
For example gamedev middleware is an example of that - be it individual library, for example audio: fmod, criware, wwise, miles, etc., or full blown game enines (unity, unreal, etc.). Just few examples.

Not really. Your market is different. Instead of selling to business managers seeking to solve a problem, you're selling to developers. Developers tend to like solving problems themselves, and you're competing versus free.

chrisrhoden 6y ago
The definition being used here for libraries and services has both being marketed to developers. We're talking about APIs, not a web product with a UI etc. Services, in this article, doesn't refer to things that can only be built as services (e.g. because it queries a proprietary dataset) but those that might optionally be built as services (e.g. fetching and processing otherwise accessible data) and could, as easily, be built as a library.
selfhoster11 6y ago
There's an ecosystem of paid libraries and tools around Java and C#. While developers might like to solve problems of their own, standards compliance is one place that they likely wouldn't want to tread their own path if they can help it. They've got work to do, and deadlines.
pjmlp 6y ago
On the Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, Apple and Google developer ecosystems there are plenty of shops selling libraries. Basically where most devs selling commercial software live on.
0xbadcafebee 6y ago
You can totally sell libraries to business managers. You can sell sauteed rat's assholes on a stick to business managers, you just need the right sales pitch.

vbezhenar 6y ago

Stealing a library is easier than stealing a service.

luismedel 6y ago
Yes. I suppose it’s the same with installable software. But it sells anyway.
- vbezhenar 6y ago
  One example of this is computer games. There are games like StarCraft 2, Diablo 3, where server is required even for solo-playing and it's not possible to play offline. I think that one of the reasons is to make it harder to crack a game (as you would need to re-implement server) and to make a cracked game objectively worse (as your implementation will not be as polished).
pjmlp 6y ago
And a crime in both cases. https://www.bsa.org/ https://www.bsa.org/
- M2Ys4U 6y ago
  > And a crime in both cases. Copyright infringement is very rarely a crime.
  - pjmlp 6y ago
    Pirating goes beyond copyright infringement in my jurisdiction.
PeterisP 6y ago
Including a stolen library you in commercial software that you distribute is easy to do but also easy to detect, so it only means that you're willing to pay a triple of the price in damages.
- 6y ago

malkia 6y ago

For example gamedev middleware is an example of that - be it individual library, for example audio: fmod, criware, wwise, miles, etc., or full blown game enines (unity, unreal, etc.). Just few examples.