Qt considers changes in licensing
asked 2020-04-08 17:15:12 +0200
https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Qt-Might-Restrict-New-Releases
https://mail.kde.org/pipermail/kde-community/2020q2/006098.html?print=cGh4
Not that it matters for SailfishOS, which is still at ancient 5.6, but LTS will also need a commercial License as of 5.15LTS.
EDIT: Some cites from the KDE mailing list:
ojschmidt at kde.org:
But last week, the company suddenly informed both the KDE e.V. board and the KDE Free QT Foundation that the economic outlook caused by the Corona virus puts more pressure on them to increase short-term revenue. As a result, they are thinking about restricting ALL Qt releases to paid license holders for the first 12 months.
We hope The Qt Company will reconsider. However, this threat to the Open Source community needs to be anticipated, so that the Qt and KDE communities can prepare themselves.
... Qt will stay Open Source, and KDE will be able to use it. I am also absolutely sure that the Qt + KDE communities will continue cooperation on new features, bug fixes, and security fixes, even should The Qt Company decide to forgo the benefits of cooperation.
till.adam at kdab.com:
If Qt Company were to delay Free Software releases by the maximum allowed by the Free Qt Agreement, KDAB would be prevented from contributing under the Open Governance process to the Qt Company maintained Qt tree and would thus contribute to, support and sustain any community-driven Qt repository that follows the Open Governance process and spirit.
EDIT: Qt """reponds""": https://www.qt.io/blog/qt-and-open-source
@michfu What a beehive of a topic ... If I were angry at Jolla, I'd say that this is not Jolla's business as all we will get from them is heavily patched 5.6. If I were realistic, I'd say that this is not our problem because all we will get from Jolla is nothing but patched 5.6 or a patched 5.9 if we are very lucky.
Whatever they decide or do, they'll break ... things. Like software, laws, promises, contracts, copyright, hearts, ...
Maus ( 2020-04-08 19:20:59 +0200 )edit@Maus: so you're realistically angry at Jolla?
rozgwi ( 2020-04-08 23:43:13 +0200 )edit@Maus who "they"? Qt or Jolla? ...or both?
Your link is an excellent example of @leszek 's (and a lot of other user's) unrewarded work and jollas ignorance or inability to work with the power of the community.
I'm afraid, as soon as pinephone or librem 5 become popular phones, a lot of devs will be gone.
michfu ( 2020-04-09 00:00:47 +0200 )edit@michfu, you are absolutely right, I didn't express myself very accurately here: I meant Jolla. But anyway: you can read they as Jolla or Qt, and it will make sense for both.
@rozgwi: no, I am desperate.
Maus ( 2020-04-09 09:21:14 +0200 )edit@Maus: in the meantime I read the log of the last community meeting. A MR for qtwebkit open for 2 years... Well, what can you do...but now I understand why desperate
rozgwi ( 2020-04-09 12:43:54 +0200 )edit