[ANN] animationEngine is free now

[Kay C Lan]

On Sat, Sep 29, 2018 at 7:27 AM John McKenzie via use-livecode
<use-livecode at lists.runrev.com> wrote:>
>  You are right, if it is GPL it is so forever, but the original author
> can also release/re-release it with another licence. THE GPL version
> with all the terms that go with it still exists though. The original
> author cannot make you pick one licence or the other. Users with the GPL
> continue to have all the rights of the GPL. Those users can choose to
> download a copy with the other licence if they want though, as long as
> they obey the terms of that licence.

Thank you John for expressing this so succinctly as strangely I don't
think it's a concept LiveCode the company fully understands, or is
happy that licensing is a generally confusing issue for Users.

It has been expressed on the odd occasion that a couple of students
can't each download the Community version of LC and develop a game and
then one of them who has a rich Dad buy a Commercial version and then
upload their App to the Apple Store;  but this is perfectly legitimate
if they jump through a few hoops.  As long as all the students release
all their code to the public under GPLv3 and then, maybe even via this
List, release all their code under another license - I currently have
a particular liking to the JSON license which is GPL incompatible but
is AppStore compatible - then you, me, and Student No 3 with a
Commercial license can take that code and do with it what we like.

LiveCode can not prevent Malte from releasing his GPL code
additionally to the Public Domain.  The FOSS can not prevent any GPL
code from also being released under another license.  This is exactly
how VLC was originally pulled from the Apple Store but eventually made
it's way back because all the contributors who wanted VLC to be
released without the restrictions of GPL, simply re-released their
code under a different Apple compatible license (MIT I think).

So it is legal for a group of impoverished developers (aren't they
all;-) to all grab a copy of Community LC and develop away to their
hearts content releasing all their code to the Public Domain (which is
GPLv3 compatible but irritates certain FOSS zealots) and at some stage
scrounge up enough money for a single Indy license and release their
Killer App on the App Store.  The company may wish all the
contributing developers purchased an Indy license but there is no
legal or practical way that they could enforce that desire.

As long as the LC User abides by their License, and the Receiver
abides by the License of the code they receive and the LC License they
have, then you are good.