Selling Python Software

[Erik Max Francis]

Will Stuyvesant wrote:

> Maybe I should trust them and do normal bussiness as I did before with
> other customers already: just send them the commandline version of the
> program; but somewhere in the back of my mind I feel uneasy about
> this.  Dunno why.  Maybe just because they have a pointy haired boss.

I'd be a little concerned why they're asking for a trial demo which
they'll decide whether to pay you for afterward given that, as you've
said, you've already demonstrated the ability to do the job with a CGI
based service that they've already explored and is what in fact drew
them to you in the first place.  At this point I'd probably press on
about what the difficulty is in agreeing on contract fees up front would
be.

I agree with Peter's response, though -- it sounds like in this case,
simply distributing .pyc files (make sure you make it clear which
version of Python the .pyc files were created with, since the format
changes with releases!) would be sufficient obscurity to encourage them
to actually pay you once they've gotten the package and have
demonstrated it to work.  I'd still wonder why they're insisting on in
effect a second trial demo, here; I now understand your initial
hesitation.

> I guess I am going to send them an MIT licence (although I am afraid
> those licences are pretty useless in The Netherlands) ...

If you're planning on reselling this to other customers, why would you
want an MIT license?

I'd also make it very clear, if you haven't already -- before you give
them anything -- on whether or not they think you're transferring the
copyright to them or merely buying a license to use it which leaves you
with the ability to resell it to other clients.

-- 
   Erik Max Francis && max at alcyone.com && http://www.alcyone.com/max/
 __ San Jose, CA, USA && 37 20 N 121 53 W && &tSftDotIotE
/  \ To understand is to forgive, even oneself.
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