[Development] Updating the licence policy for Qt Project

[Knoll Lars]

On 22/08/14 12:26, "Jake Petroules" <jake.petroules at petroules.com> wrote:

>On 2014-08-22, at 06:13 AM, Knoll Lars <Lars.Knoll at digia.com> wrote:
>
>> 
>> 
>> On 22/08/14 11:32, "Jake Petroules" <jake.petroules at petroules.com>
>>wrote:
>>> 
>>> What makes the iOS App Store different from the others?
>> 
>> Microsoft has added explicit exception clauses for FOSS software in
>>their
>> terms. To quote 
>> (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh694058.aspx):
>> 
>> "Your license terms must also not conflict with the Standard Application
>> License Terms, in any way, except if you include FOSS, your license
>>terms
>> may conflict with the limitations set forth in Section 3 of the Standard
>> Application License Terms, but only to the extent required by the FOSS
>> that you use."
>> 
>> 
>> Google play has this term in section 5.4
>> 
>>(https://play.google.com/intl/ALL_us/about/developer-distribution-agreeme
>>nt
>> .html):
>> 
>> "5.4 You grant to the user a non-exclusive, worldwide, and perpetual
>> license to perform, display, and use the Product on the Device. If you
>> choose, you may include a separate end user license agreement (EULA) in
>> your Product that will govern the user's rights to the Product in lieu
>>of
>> the previous sentence."
>> 
>> 
>> So both are actually rather friendly to open source, as Google gives you
>> enough flexibility in your licensing terms, and Microsoft explicitly
>> removes restrictions that would conflict with your usage of open source
>> software contained in the product.
>> 
>> Apple has restrictions, but no exceptions for open source software.
>> 
>> Cheers,
>> Lars
>> 
>
>
>Did you know vendors can add a custom license agreement for their
>applications in iTunes Connect?
>
>IANAL either, but have a look at Apple's requirements for custom EULAs;
>not sure if this changes the situation any:
>
>http://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/appstore/dev/minterms/
> (App Store)
>http://www.apple.com/legal/macapps/dev/minterms/ (Mac App Store)


I'll pass it on to our lawyers, let's see what their analysis of the whole
thing is. But I think this might be conflicting (from the App Store page):

"The license granted to the end-user for the Licensed Application must be
limited to a non-transferable license to use the Licensed Application on
any iPhone or iPod touch that the end-user owns or controls and as
permitted by the Usage Rules set forth in the App Store Terms of Service."


Cheers,
Lars