Subject: Free Qt Foundation
From: Russell Nelson <nelson@crynwr.com>
Date: 8 Apr 1998 18:38:18 -0000
FYI, Qt uses a more restrictive license than the AFPL. Like the AFPL,
it encourages gratis software more than libre.
-russ
Forwarded message:
> Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 13:33:18 -0400 (EDT)
> From: Bernd Johannes Wuebben <wuebben@math.cornell.edu>
> To: qt-interest@troll.no
> Subject: The KDE Free Qt Foundation
>
> The KDE Free Qt Foundation
>
>
> The KDE project and Troll Tech AS, the creators of Qt, are pleased
> to announce the founding of the 'KDE Free Qt Foundation'.
>
> The purpose of this foundation is to guarantee the availability of
> Qt for free software development now and in the future.
>
> The foundation will control the rights to the Qt Free Edition and
> ensure that current and future releases of Qt will be available for
> free software development at all times. All changes to the Qt Free
> Edition license will have to be approved by the KDE Free Qt Founda-
> tion which will consist of two members of Troll Tech AS as well as
> two members of the KDE project. One of the representatives of the
> KDE project will have a double vote to be used in case of a tie.
>
> Should Troll Tech ever discontinue the Qt Free Edition for any rea-
> son including, but not limited to, a buy-out of Troll Tech, a merger
> or bankruptcy, the latest version of the Qt Free Edition will be
> released under the BSD license.
>
> Furthermore, should Troll Tech cease continued development of Qt, as
> assessed by a majority of the KDE Free Qt Foundation, and not
> release a new version at least every 12 months, the Foundation has
> the right to release the Qt Free Edition under the BSD License.
>
> At this point lawyers are working on the details of the agree-
> ment. Troll Tech and the KDE project expect to be able to sign the
> necessary documents within a few weeks.
>
> We believe the founding of the KDE Free Qt Foundation to be an
> unprecedented ground-breaking step, ushering in a new era of soft-
> ware development, allowing the KDE project, the free software commu-
> nity, all free software developers as well as commercial software
> developers to prosper in a mutually supportive fashion.
>
>
> Bernd Johannes Wuebben Eirik Eng
> The KDE Project Troll Tech CEO
> wuebben@kde.org Eirik.Eng@troll.no
>
> --
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