Re: Qt license change
On Wed, Nov 18, 1998 at 09:17:54AM -0800, Joseph Carter wrote:
> On Wed, Nov 18, 1998 at 06:09:38PM +0100, luther@maxime.u-strasbg.fr wrote:
> > > > i am not entirely sure here, but it seems to me that you can produce a
> > > > commercial app with GPL stuff, and sell it. I think with QPL you have to buy
> > > > their commercial Qt version to developp apps. Is this DFSG free ? are you sure
> > > > of it ? if yes i think this is ok, but as i understood thinks up to now, is
> > > > that for a library to be free you also have to have free developpement tools
> > > > for it. Also i think that the QPL don't agree with the non discrimination
> > > > clause of the DFSG, altough i wish some more informed person would look into
> > > > it.
> > >
> > > You can charge whatever you feel is reasonable for a GPL app, but nobody
> > > paying for it is restricted from giving it away freely. This isn't all that
> > > different from what the Qt license says really, other than that they say the
> > > money is for distribution, not as part of a sale. Different words, same
> > > meaning.
> >
> > they should say it explicitly then, no need in confussing people.
>
> I was under the impression that it did, or at least RMS has explained it
i was not speaking about the GPL¸ like you said they say it.
> that way. The whole point of the GPL is that you can't stop redistribution
> no matter what you sell it for. I can pay $100,000 for a single CD and if
> everything is GPL I can put that CD's contents up on the net freely the same
> day I receive it, free to anyone to download.
>
> The QPL has that same restriction.
>
But they don't say it explicitly, we just guess that this is their intention.
>
> > > > in this case i think the QPL discriminate against people wanting to write
> > > > commercial software with Qt.
> > >
> > > The GPL does too, and in the same way.
> >
> > You just say you can sell GPLed software, so the GPL don't make this
> > discrimination.
>
> Yes, but the cost is not for the code, but rather for what you're putting it
> on. The QPL just spells that out.
>
>
> > and the FSF has said that it consider that you can sell GPLed software, what is
> > the position on Troll Tech on this ?
> >
> > you have me half convinced here, but still i would prefer a clear position in
> > the license, but then this is only a draft ...
>
> You can sell it. Realize that when you buy a Debian CD it was sold to you.
> You're only paying for the media of course, but the GPL software was sold to
> you on that media. You payed to have the stuff distributed to you, not to
> have the right to have the code. And you can't under the GPL or QPL take
> away the ability for someone else to distribute the results as far and wide
> as possible should they choose to do it.
>
Yes, but there is this clause :
6.a. You make your items available in machine-readable source code form free of
charge to all users of those items. You may charge a reasonable fee for the
physical act of transferring a copy.
Which say that you have only have to charge a reasonable (small ?) fee. This
mean i cannot charge $10000000 for it ? or does it say it ?
i think this license is not clear enough, if they mean it, they should say it
without doubts.
Friendly,
Sven LUTHER
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