[PyQt] PyQt license

[kristof.mulier at telenet.be]

Hi @Kyle and @BPL,

We 'compile' the .py files into .pyd files with Cython. Then we freeze them together.
To be honest, I'm not into all the details, because Matic is taking care of the
packaging.

The IDE we're making is developed from scratch and focused on microcontrollers only (so it's not a general purpose IDE). Our business model is:
 - Offer support (for an hourly rate).
 - Charge microcontroller vebdors (STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, ...) to support their chips.

To charge the microcontroller vendors, we got to have a large user base first. Otherwise they'll never take us serious. We want to keep the IDE free for all users (also commercial users) and will try to get our income through other means (like the microcontroller vendors, paid support, ...). We also got to eat, you see ^_^

If you want, send a mail to info at embedoffice.com , so we'll keep you updated about the launch.
Soon we'll turn our name into "Embeetle", but for now, you got to mail to "EmbedOffice".

Kind greetings,

Kristof Mulier



----- Oorspronkelijk bericht -----
Van: "Kyle Altendorf" <sda at fstab.net>
Aan: "pyqt" <pyqt at riverbankcomputing.com>, "BPL" <spscener84 at gmail.com>, "kristof mulier" <kristof.mulier at telenet.be>
Verzonden: Dinsdag 20 augustus 2019 13:50:20
Onderwerp: Re: [PyQt] PyQt license

On August 20, 2019 6:29:21 AM EDT, BPL <spscener84 at gmail.com> wrote:
>Kristof,
>
>I'm curious, when you say you won't make it open-source, which method
>of
>deployment & distribution you guys are picking up? Asking as your
>choices
>in this regard are very limited in python land. If you decided to use
>any of the existing freezers {bbFreeze, py2exe, pyInstaller, cx_Freeze,
>py2app} your code would be very easy to unpack. The only choice I know
>that
>could bring you enough "protection" are either nuitka(mature enough) or
>beeware(not ready to use on production).

DRM doesn't really work.  You are giving the user the code to execute, they have it.  Licenses are there to allow legal action, not technical action.  If you are prepared to take legal action then obfuscation isn't particularly relevant.  If you aren't prepared to take legal action then obfuscation isn't particularly relevant.  The simple fact that PyQt itself is dual licensed should make this clear.

I am a little curious though.  What part of the IDE is useful to be proprietary but still distributed for free?  How will it be leveraged to make money etc.

Cheers,
-kyle