lua_qt vs Qt licenses (was Re: [ANN] tolua++ 1.0.6 and lua_qt4 0.0.2a)

[Javier Guerra <javier@...>]

On Monday 12 September 2005 6:46 am, Ariel Manzur wrote:

i think the license strategy of TrollTech can be summarized as:

"if you make money with Qt, we want a part of it"

(which i can respect)  the complex part here is because there are three parts 
involved:  Qt, lua_qt and a final application.

i think everybody agrees that lua_qt is "a derived work of" Qt in the sense of 
the GPL license.  but it would be usually packaged without Qt.

Since lua_qt was developed using the GPL edition of Qt, it can't be sold 
commercially (because of 'entry number 182').  but according to 'entry number 
187', it could be released under a non-viral open license.  i guess its 
important here not to bundle Qt.

so, if Ariel decides to switch to a BSD (or MIT) license for lua_qt (and 
tolua++!), an application developer using it would have a choice:

	- use GPL Qt to develop Open source apps
or
	- use commercial Qt to develop any kind of apps

just as usual with Qt.

personally, i think lua_qt increases the value of Qt so much that if we could 
ask TrollTech; they would happily encourage it anyway they could. (as long as 
we ask a real person and not their license lawyer)

-- 
Javier

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