Changes between Version 4 and Version 5 of Licensing_FAQ

Timestamp:

Feb 4, 2008 10:48:42 AM (16 years ago)

Author:

Frank Mehnert

Comment:

--

Licensing_FAQ

@@ -13 +13 @@
  If you are an individual end user, there is generally no need to purchase a commercial license, provided that you respect, in the case of !VirtualBox OSE, the terms and conditions of the [wiki:"GPL"], or, in the case of the full !VirtualBox package, those of the [wiki:"VirtualBox_PUEL" Personal Use and Evaluation License].
 
- As an enterprise customer, we encourage you to purchase a commercial license from !InnoTek and receive benefits such as access to enterprise features and support for mission-critical use of !VirtualBox. We also encourage ISVs and IHVs to incorporate !VirtualBox into their offerings, either based on the GPL or preferably through a custom license deal with !InnoTek.
- Please contact InnoTek for additional information.
+ As an enterprise customer, we encourage you to purchase a commercial license from !InnoTek and receive benefits such as access to enterprise features and support for mission-critical use of !VirtualBox. We also encourage ISVs and IHVs to incorporate !VirtualBox into their offerings, either based on the GPL or preferably through a custom license deal with innotek.
+ Please contact innotek for additional information.
 
  3. '''How can !VirtualBox be both open source and commercially licensed?'''
 
- This is called "dual licensing". Since !InnoTek held all the copyrights to the !VirtualBox code, or is at least permitted to relicense code that is owned by external contributors or other parties, we are free to choose the terms under which we license the code to our customers, or the open source community. 
+ This is called "dual licensing". Since innotek held all the copyrights to the !VirtualBox code, or is at least permitted to relicense code that is owned by external contributors or other parties, we are free to choose the terms under which we license the code to our customers, or the open source community. 
 
  4. '''Why dual licensing?'''
@@ -26 +26 @@
  5. '''Will the licensing terms of !VirtualBox OSE be changed in the future?'''
 
- We are not currently planning to do so, but it doesn't really matter. Any code that was once released under the GPL cannot be "closed" again. The license that !InnoTek has granted you with the GPL is perpetual and cannot be taken back. Even if !InnoTek wanted to change the license again, this could only affect future versions, and anybody would still be permitted to redistribute the existing !VirtualBox code under the terms of the GPL.
+ We are not currently planning to do so, but it doesn't really matter. Any code that was once released under the GPL cannot be "closed" again. The license that innotek has granted you with the GPL is perpetual and cannot be taken back. Even if innotek wanted to change the license again, this could only affect future versions, and anybody would still be permitted to redistribute the existing !VirtualBox code under the terms of the GPL.
 
  6. '''What exactly do you mean by ''personal use'' and ''academic use'' in the [wiki:"VirtualBox_PUEL" Personal Use and Evaluation License]?'''
@@ -44 +44 @@
  8. '''Which guidelines apply to the use of the name ''!VirtualBox''?'''
 
- The term ''!VirtualBox'' has been registered by !InnoTek as a trademark. It may be freely used together with the products available from this web site. However, if you choose to ship custom binaries and/or source code revisions of the product, !InnoTek reserves the right to deny use of the trademark ''!VirtualBox''. This might seem rather strict but we believe that it is important to avoid any kind of confusion arising from multiple versions of the same product coming from different sources.
+ The term ''!VirtualBox'' has been registered by innotek as a trademark. It may be freely used together with the products available from this web site. However, if you choose to ship custom binaries and/or source code revisions of the product, innotek reserves the right to deny use of the trademark ''!VirtualBox''. This might seem rather strict but we believe that it is important to avoid any kind of confusion arising from multiple versions of the same product coming from different sources.
 
  9. '''What about software patents?'''
 
- !InnoTek offers !VirtualBox free of charge to anyone who finds it useful. The only restrictions we impose are those of either the GPL or our respective commercial licenses -- whichever you choose. This also means that we will not restrict your use of the product by means of patents. However, should someone attempt to abuse the product, e.g. by violating the GPL or our commercial license, we will make use of our intellectual property rights to protect !VirtualBox. 
+ innotek offers !VirtualBox free of charge to anyone who finds it useful. The only restrictions we impose are those of either the GPL or our respective commercial licenses -- whichever you choose. This also means that we will not restrict your use of the product by means of patents. However, should someone attempt to abuse the product, e.g. by violating the GPL or our commercial license, we will make use of our intellectual property rights to protect !VirtualBox.