[GRASS-dev] v.digit: Qt or wxWidgets

[Radim Blazek]

On 5/22/06, Glynn Clements <glynn at gclements.plus.com> wrote:
>
> Radim Blazek wrote:
>
> > > > I don't care which toolkit you choose. I just don't like to see
> > > > that some people for some strange reasons repeat to say that
> > > > Qt is not free, which is not true.
> > >
> > > The licensing information on the TrollTech site suggests that the
> > > licence for the Open Source edition isn't actually the GPL, but a
> > > requirement that you publish your code under the terms of the GPL.
> > >
> > > The GPL itself does not require that you publish your code at all. You
> > > are free to create derivative works and not publish them at all. /If/
> > > you publish them, you must do so under the terms of the GPL.
> > >
> > > TrollTech's site suggests that you cannot develop "in-house"
> > > applications using the Qt Open Source edition (and you can't obtain a
> > > commercial licence for software which was originally developed using
> > > the Open Source edition). In which case, the licence isn't even
> > > GPL-compatible.
> >
> > I cannot find anything like that. The opensource package is licenced under
> > GPL and I don't see any exception. Where is written that you
> > must publish your code even if you do not distribute the application
> > or that you cannot develop and use "in-house" application using open source
> > edition of Qt?
>
> http://www.trolltech.com/products/qt/licenses/licensing
>
>         You must purchase a Qt Commercial License from Trolltech or
>         from any of its authorized resellers before you start
>         developing proprietary software. The Commercial license does
>         not allow the incorporation of code developed with the Open
>         Source Edition of Qt into a proprietary product.
>
> http://www.trolltech.com/products/qt/licenses/licensing/opensource
>
>         Based on the "Quid Pro Quo" principle, if you wish to derive a
>         commercial advantage by not releasing your application under
>         an open source license, you must purchase an appropriate
>         number of commercial licenses from Trolltech. By purchasing
>         commercial licenses, you are no longer obliged to publish your
>         source code.
>
> http://www.trolltech.com/developer/downloads/qt/faq
>
>         If you are working in a commercial environment and are
>         required to keep the source code of your product closed, you
>         must use the commercial version instead. Trolltech's
>         commercial license terms do not allow you to start developing
>         proprietary software using the Open Source edition.
>
> http://www.trolltech.com/developer/downloads/qt/x11
>
>         If you are writing proprietary/commercial software, or if you
>         plan to commercialize the software you are writing with Qt,
>         you must use a commercial version of Qt. Please refer to the
>         Open Source Downloads info page for reasons why.
>
> Now, all of these could be considered mistakes in wording, based upon
> the assumption that the software will ultimately be distributed. Or
> they could be the result of TrollTech misunderstanding the
> consequences of releasing Qt under the GPL. Or they could be a
> calculated attempt to sell more commercial licences by misleading
> users as to the scope of the rights granted by the GPL.

IMO it is quite clear, they just say in other words what is  written
in detail in their licenses: you can only use open source edition
to develop open source software. If you have doubts about
in-house applications you can read GPL.

> If the only licence which is included in the official Qt Open Source
> version distributed by TrollTech is a copy of the GPL, then there's no
> problem. You have the rights stated there regardless of TrollTech's
> interpretation of them.

I think so.

Radim

> --
> Glynn Clements <glynn at gclements.plus.com>
>