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List:       kde-licensing
Subject:    Re: The problem, that Qt is now owned by Nokia
From:       "Aaron J. Seigo" <aseigo () kde ! org>
Date:       2008-03-16 19:25:21
Message-ID: 200803161325.21629.aseigo () kde ! org
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On Sunday 16 March 2008, theUser BL wrote:
> it is time, to make  Qt BSD-licensed.

no, actually, it is not. there has been no violation of the FreeQt agreement 
and there's no reason for KDE to feel that it would be in our interests to do 
so at this time.

> "Should  Troll Tech ever discontinue the Qt Free Edition for any rea-
>   son including, but not limited to, a buy-out of Troll Tech, a merger
>   or  bankruptcy,  the  latest  version of the Qt Free Edition will be
>   released under the BSD license."
>
> That is now true. TrollTech as it no longer exists. It is now Nokia.

this is also untrue. Nokia owns (or is in the process of completing the 
process of owning) Trolltech. Trolltech still exists and the agreement itself 
is with the current persons of upper management in Trolltech.

> "Furthermore, should Troll Tech cease continued development of Qt, as
>   assessed  by  a  majority  of  the  KDE  Free Qt Foundation, and not
>   release a new version at least every 12 months, the  Foundation  has
>   the right to release the Qt Free Edition under the BSD License."
>
> Which release? Only the last version or every version?
> If Nokia is really the follower of Trolltech, what is, if Nokia creates an
> Qt 5.0, which is slimmed down to something like FLTK 1.0  ? After that you
> can decide, that Qt 5 will be BSD-licensed. But then only the ugly Qt5 is
> BSD-licensed, not Qt4.

AFAIU we'd be free to release the Qt4 verson as well in such a situation.

are your email here based on actual legal advice, or is this simply your 
understanding?

> Additional there existing the possibility for Nokia to make mini-changes.
> Let every year one developer making on one hour minor changes, to have a
> new version to publish. In 30 years Qt4 is too old for any modern use.
> So Nokia have only to pay one developer for 30 hours.

this is also covered in the agreement by the "new edition of importance" 
language.

> But I am not sure, if Nokia is  really also the legal follower of the
> agreement. They have buyed  Qt and Trolltech, but not the agreement.

as far as Trolltech is a signatory, they are. note that it's Haavard and Eirik 
that have personally signed it, as well.

-- 
Aaron J. Seigo
humru othro a kohnu se
GPG Fingerprint: 8B8B 2209 0C6F 7C47 B1EA  EE75 D6B7 2EB1 A7F1 DB43

KDE core developer sponsored by Trolltech

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