[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-licensing
Subject:    Change ?
From:       Kevin Forge <forgeltd () pop ! netaddress ! usa ! net>
Date:       1998-03-08 20:01:09
[Download RAW message or body]

THE PROBLEM, A QUICK SUMMERY

It's a simple situation.  The QT Libs are free but Lots of Linux programmers 
don't think they are free enough.  Unfortunately this includes RedHat, Debian
and SlackWare.  I have herd some say categorically they will avoid KDE simply 
because it is good enough to become the center of the GUI and hence second 
only to the Kernel in it's importance it Linux.  The current license is free
enough to suite them ... However they are afraid it will change later on.

HOW TO FIX ?

There are several possible changes to the license that may satisfy them and
a few that wold also satisfy Troll Tech ( I hope ).

1 : GPL the Libs ( Yeah right :)

2 : A grantee within the license that it wold never change. 
  Sounds good at first but is guaranteed to be flawed ... ie.. Troll 
  could start selling TQ libs and make those like motif price wise.

3 : Allow modification of the Libs ( This wold not suite Troll for
  many reasons. )

4 : Built in obselence.  ( My personal favorite ).  This wold basically
  Mean That each generation of the Libs wold have a line in the license
  saying when Troll Tech will no longer support it.  This wold also be
  The time it becomes GPLd.  This is good for all involved since it 
  wold basically mean Linuxers could leave the QT libs alone.

5 : Built in Obselence part 2.01.  This is the same as #4 except that 
  There wold be some kind of mechanism to limit modification of the
  old libs as long as the current libs bear the samelicenses ( This
  suffers from the same flaw as #2 )

WHAT's IN IT FOR TROLL

  Sumbody had to ask.  Why wold Troll Tech want to change the product
  license on a potential cash cow in such a way that it tiesthey'rer 
  hands ?
  There are of course several reasons but the most important is 
  simply more money.  i.e.  All Linux developers respect the QT libs 
  on a technical level.  This means that were the QT licensesuitablee
  to them, most X development wold become QT development.  This wold
  basically mean aunifiede and consistent desktop for Linux which just 
  happens to be portable being supported by all Linux distributors.
  In other Words Linux wold become KDE.  
  This however is not where it ends.  With Linux clearly demonstrating 
  the superiority of QT to all Commercial Unix developers there wold be 
  substantial push to QTise all apps ... After all QT is much cheaper 
  than the competition.  
  Then there is the very real possibility that Linux could change the OS 
  market significantly.  Perhaps even becoming dominant ( funny thing
  about exponential growth ... it always continues longer than anyone
  wold expect ( i.e. More's Law & BG's Bank Balance )
  If this happens Troll wold findthemselvess suddenly becoming a real power 
  player in the Software market generally.
  

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]