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List:       kde-licensing
Subject:    Re: [freeqt] Re: FreeQt concerns
From:       Kevin Forge <forgeltd () usa ! net>
Date:       1998-04-07 1:06:04
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Alan Cox wrote:
> 
> > stuff.  I am willing to bet that RedHat makes more money off Commercial
> > Software than free Software ... Even with Linux as the Primary
> > product.
> 
> I wouldnt know. I do know UK and US CD vendors who sell nothing but free
> software and don't have any other software business lines and they can
> turn a profit.
>
Do they Write this software ?  It costs < $1 to make a CD ( including 
Jewel case and paper insert ).  It costs a heck of a lot more to 
create a program.  I.e. If Troll Tech doesn't make several Million
dollars
per year they will have to close down.  
>
> > How MUCH money dos Cygnos make ?  Do the do it by selling a GPLd
> > Library ?
> 
> They make most of it on support.
>
How would that help Troll Tech ?  There business model is along the line
of
using a few very skilled programers to make sure the stuff doesn't need
much tech support. 
>
> > The Problem with Motif is that it had a Per user License.  QT dose not.
> > It's strictly a developers bill.  $ 1,500 per developer and and $0 per
> > user means that QT is cheaper for anybody selling >10 copies of a
> > commercial
> 
> For a small vendor it means I can pay perhaps $2000 for the priviledge
> of using KDE or $0 for the priviledge of using Gtk/Lesstif/etc. And its
> also $0 for MS Windows development.
>
Of course.  That's why we leave the license on those INDEPENDENT tools
as
LGPL.  If Troll can't keep QT significantly better than GTK and LessTiff
then they will be beaten fare and square and our conchences will be
clean.
If however they were crippled by a copy of QT made by people who read
the
manuals and source code THEY wrote, this would be grossly unfair to
them.
Microsoft would do this to a company.  I like to think we are better
than
Microsoft. 
>
> > My question is ; Since we all know that an LGPLd FreeQT would destroy
> > Troll Tech's income while a GPLd FreeQT would not What do we loose by
> > making FreeQT a strictly GPL product rather than LGPL ?
> 
> I don't think a FreeQT would materially harm Troll at all. They get a
> slightly smaller share in a much bigger pie.
>
That is why they gave QT away in the first place.  A GPL license on
FreeQT
would not change that.  
Personally if I was Troll Tech I would put a Time Limit on in the
license 
of my next release.  
I.e.  After 2 Years ( April 2,000 ) This license will expire and be 
  replaced by the GPL.
>
> Alan

-- 
A computer without Windows 95 and Internet Explorer is likea piece of
chocolate cake without Catsup and Mustard.

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