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List:       kde
Subject:    [kde] Re: [freeqt] Re: FreeQt concerns
From:       "Steve Lamb" <morpheus () calweb ! com>
Date:       1998-04-05 22:52:50
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On Sun, 5 Apr 1998 13:33:05 -0700, fractture wrote:

> I was under the impression that GPLed code WAS commercial.

    No, it is not.  It *CAN* be commercial.  However, commercial ventures shy
away from GPL because their product is in the code.  Releasing the code
releases their product to scrutiny by compitition.  

> charging.  GPL actually encurages developers to modify the code and sell it >if \
> they wish, as long as the new code is GPLed also and documented.

    Exactly.  And they do not wish to distribute the code.

> This is further confirmed by the statement on the Gnu webpage...if someone 
> you are trying to get to use the software says 'Well, I don't trust anything 
> non-commercial' then you can say 'Well, actually it is.'

    Too bad that most GPL work is *NOT* commercial.

> This is why I was kind of wondering how software using QT could be released >under \
> the GPL,

    Because that is part of how Troll Tech wrote their license.  If the
person who writes a product and does not get the commercial license they are
required to GPL the product.  End of topic.

> seems to me the 2 licences are countering.....sort of like the GIF thing.  

    Not at all.  As stated, loads of commercial entities do not wish to
distribute their code.  Without the commercial license and the GPL
restriction lifted they would simply not use the product.

> People like RedHat or other commercial disdtributions would (seemingly by the \
> >QTlicence) be unable to distribute KDE, or anything using QT, with thier \
> > >commercial system.

    Incorrect.  They are not using Qt to build anything.  KDE is GPL, they
are packaging GPL just like they package other GPL things.  Perfectly
acceptable under the GPL.  

    Now, if they were to use Qt to build an application and then sell that
application, they would have to get the commercial Qt license.

    As far as I can tell, RedHat is not selling any application they build
under Qt.  In fact, all applications on their CDs with Qt, to my knowledge,
are GPL'd and are available, freely, from their FTP site or on a CD with the
appropriate nominal packaging fee.  The more expensive RedHat distributions
that I see many people bitching about aren't selling these same things.  What
they are doing is giving the base (which is, as I said, freely available) and
charging for commercial software they have packaged on there (Applix, MetroX)
as well as *SUPPORT*.  I doubt you can convince anyone that the Qt commercial
license is applicable to a support contract to a product which applications
which happen to be built with the non-commercial license happens to be on.

> That is why I was surprised to find KDE was distributed under the GPL instead >of \
> some sort of 'FreeWare' licence simular to GPL, but preventing the sale of >it.

    Has the KDE development team paid for each copy of Qt used in its
development?  No.  The, by the Qt license, it *MUST* be GPL.

> Also, the only reason I can see in creating a FreeQT is to allow the GPL >licence \
> to be placed on code made with it....without the interpretive >problems with the \
> GPL+QTLicence..

    There are no interpretive problems.  

> Anything else is sort of...yeah, taking away from Troll Tech, which I don't
> believe should be done if we want commercial developers to take us at all
> seriously.

    No, it doesn't even do that.  A "FreeQt" would never be used.  If people
want to use Qt free, they can use Qt free.  If they want to use Qt but not
release the code they certainly aren't going to turn to a Qt clone which has
the requirement of GPL and no other option.

    All it does is waste a bunch of people's time recreating the wheel for no
gain whatsoever.




-- 
             Steve C. Lamb             | Opinions expressed by me are not my
    http://www.calweb.com/~morpheus    | employer's.  They hired me for my
             ICQ: 5107343              | skills and labor, not my opinions!
---------------------------------------+-------------------------------------


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