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当前 QT license 要求:你开源我开源,你商业我商业。而今 trolltech 公司宣布扩展它的 license ,具体内容如下:
Qt cross-platform development software will be available under the open source GPL license for open source development and a commercial license for commercial development
也就是说,用 QT 开发的开源软件,可以在 windows 下运行了,而不用向 QT 公司购买商业的 license ,当然,你开发的软件必须得公开源代码喽。
请看详细信息:
PALO ALTO, Calif. - February 07 2005
Trolltech®, a provider of leading application development software, today announced that it will extend its successful dual-licensing business model to include the Qt® cross-platform application development framework for the Microsoft Windows operating system. The availability of Qt for Windows under the open source GNU General Public License (GPL) will bring the benefits of open source software to the Windows environment, fueling the development of open source applications for the mainstream PC market. Qt for Windows is already widely used for commercial software development.
"Based on the huge success Trolltech has realized through dual licensing Qt on the Linux and Mac OS X platforms, we are confident that by releasing an open source version of Qt for Windows, Qt will become one of the premier development environments for Windows applications," said Eirik Chambe-Eng, Trolltech president and co-founder. "Trolltech's business is strong, and we are thrilled that we are now in a position to meet the enormous community demand for an open source license option for Qt on Windows."
Trolltech's dual licensing model is based on the principle of fair exchange: Users who want to donate their source code to the Open Source community can use the Open Source version and must license their software under the GPL. Users who write commercial proprietary software must purchase a license and may freely choose how to license and profit from their software.
Qt for Windows will be available under both a commercial license and the open source GPL license starting with the next major production release of Qt, version 4.0, which is expected in the second quarter of 2005. With the GPL availability of Qt for Windows, Trolltech will offer dual licensing of Qt on all supported platforms.
Windows Most Popular Qt Platform
Qt is an industry-leading toolkit for cross-platform graphical user interface (GUI) software development on the desktop. With Qt, developers can write applications once and deploy on any major desktop operating system, including many versions of Windows, Linux/Unix and Mac OS X, all from the same code base. Thousands of programs have been built using Qt, including software from some of the world's largest organizations, such as Adobe, AMD, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Synopsys and Volvo.
While Qt for Windows has not been previously available under an open source license, it has been available under a commercial license for commercial application development since 1995. Windows is currently the most popular platform for Qt commercial development, with Linux a close second.
Stacey Quandt, senior business analyst and open source practice leader for the Robert Francis Group commented: "The Windows market is ripe for an influx of open source software, and a mature, platform-independent toolkit like Qt can spur a renaissance of development. As a rising tide floats all boats, this expanding ecosystem of Qt applications will also increase commercial Qt development on Windows, and broaden cross-platform opportunities."
Dual Licensing Creates Strong Open Source Business
Through its dual-licensing business model, Trolltech has established a profitable, stable business based on the integration of commercial license sales with open source software. Dual-licensed software is sold under a commercial license for proprietary development in a commercial context and is also released under the GPL for open source development projects. Developers of applications under the GPL must freely distribute the complete source code of their applications, making it available for end users to modify, recompile and redistribute, thus fostering the ongoing community development upon which open source is built. Trolltech's commercially-licensed customers gain benefits traditionally associated with commercial software, such as add-on products, technical support directly from the Qt's core developers, and the right to earn income from selling proprietary Qt-based software.
Trolltech's dual-licensing model combines the software quality assurance and distribution benefits of an open source model with the software licensing revenue model of a traditional commercial software vendor.
"Dual licensing is a win-win for all, as technology vendors can purchase and license commercially-supported software that has been tested and proven by a huge open source community," said M錼ten Mickos, CEO at MySQL AB. "Similarly, the open source community benefits from software that is backed by a stable organization."
For more information see the Qt/Windows Dual License FAQ.
About Trolltech:
Trolltech® is a world leader in delivering tools, components, and libraries for C++ developers across all major operating systems. Trolltech products constitute a leading open source application development framework and are an integral part of the Linux desktop. Trolltech also develops innovative UI platforms that enable key players to adopt Linux for mobile devices.
Trolltech creates two product lines: Qt® and Qtopia®. Qt is a complete C++ application development framework, which includes a class library and tools for cross-platform development and internationalization. Qtopia is the first comprehensive application platform built for embedded Linux, and is used on numerous Linux-based PDAs and mobile phones.
Trolltech is a second generation open source company with a dual licensing business model and provides development software to some of the largest companies in the world including Intel, IBM, Motorola, and Sharp, among thousands more. Trolltech is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with offices in Brisbane, Australia, and Palo Alto, California. More about Trolltech can be found at http://www.trolltech.com.
For further information, please contact:
Trolltech, Europe
Tonje Sund
+47 21 60 48 78
[email protected]
Sheeran/Jager Communication
U.S. and Asia
Lisa Sheeran
+1.510.724.2267
[email protected]
这意味着什么呢?农村包围城市? :D |
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