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Here it explains what privileges non profits get: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonprofit_organization http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonprofit_organization Mozi

by illumen 15y ago

Here it explains what privileges non profits get: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonprofit_organization http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonprofit_organization Mozilla Foundation owns Mozilla Corporation, and Mozilla Foundation is a non profit. Non profits get special privileges that companies do not get - and that is all I am talking about, I'm not concerned about it. Mozilla Foundation and Subsidiary declared $61,501,145 Royalties from search in the 2006 Auditors report. I mention this, to rebut the point that users are not contributing anything to mozilla - therefore they can't expect anything. Disregarding other ways users contribute to mozilla (donations, testing, etc), this is one way everyone is contributing to mozilla foundation (or at least the people who live in countries where mozilla has foundations). Even if users were not paying anything, I still think they have rights in open source communities and should not just be ignored or mistreated just because they don't happen to pay money to license the software.

bzbarsky 15y ago
> Here it explains what privileges non profits get: > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonprofit_organization http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonprofit_organization Yes, I'm well aware of that. The point is that the privileges nonprofits get are largely about not having to pay taxes on revenue, but the Mozilla Foundation has no revenue to start with, so there would be no tax to pay in any case. The main "privilege" the Mozilla Foundation gets, as far as I can see, is that people who donate money to it can claim that as a tax deduction on their income tax return. This is for the US; I have no idea whether Mozilla has any sort of nonprofit presence in other jurisdictions, nor what the laws are there regarding nonprofits. Again, can you point to any specific privileges that you're concerned with that Mozilla is getting, instead of handwaving? I see a privilege that people giving money to Mozilla get, is all.
- illumen 15y ago
  I'm not concerned with Mozilla being non profit. Here are some advantages of non profits: http://grantspace.org/Tools/Knowledge-Base/Nonprofit-Management/Establishment/Pros-and-cons http://grantspace.org/Tools/Knowledge-Base/Nonprofit-Managem... In exchange for being a non profit, the government gives non profits these advantages, and that relates to the public supporting the non-profit Mozilla Foundation. Yeah, there are other mozilla foundations in other countries. There's some listed on the mozilla foundation wikipedia page. I feel a little trolled, and have other things to do, and I also think this conversation is going nowhere - so am not responding any further.
  - bzbarsky 15y ago
    So the advantages you describe for non-profits are exactly the same as for any limited-liability corporation, except for the tax-free revenue bit. And the revenue Mozilla gets is in fact taxed, since it's revenue of a for-profit corporation. _You_'re feeling trolled? Pardon me, but as far as I can tell you're doing the trolling....

by illumen 15y ago

bzbarsky 15y ago

> Here it explains what privileges non profits get: > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonprofit_organization http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonprofit_organization Yes, I'm well aware of that. The point is that the privileges nonprofits get are largely about not having to pay taxes on revenue, but the Mozilla Foundation has no revenue to start with, so there would be no tax to pay in any case. The main "privilege" the Mozilla Foundation gets, as far as I can see, is that people who donate money to it can claim that as a tax deduction on their income tax return. This is for the US; I have no idea whether Mozilla has any sort of nonprofit presence in other jurisdictions, nor what the laws are there regarding nonprofits. Again, can you point to any specific privileges that you're concerned with that Mozilla is getting, instead of handwaving? I see a privilege that people giving money to Mozilla get, is all.

illumen 15y ago
I'm not concerned with Mozilla being non profit. Here are some advantages of non profits: http://grantspace.org/Tools/Knowledge-Base/Nonprofit-Management/Establishment/Pros-and-cons http://grantspace.org/Tools/Knowledge-Base/Nonprofit-Managem... In exchange for being a non profit, the government gives non profits these advantages, and that relates to the public supporting the non-profit Mozilla Foundation. Yeah, there are other mozilla foundations in other countries. There's some listed on the mozilla foundation wikipedia page. I feel a little trolled, and have other things to do, and I also think this conversation is going nowhere - so am not responding any further.
- bzbarsky 15y ago
  So the advantages you describe for non-profits are exactly the same as for any limited-liability corporation, except for the tax-free revenue bit. And the revenue Mozilla gets is in fact taxed, since it's revenue of a for-profit corporation. _You_'re feeling trolled? Pardon me, but as far as I can tell you're doing the trolling....