Application for a company - what do we need to sell

[nqrgaard]

Hello

My team and I are working on an application to a company, but we have some questions about "publishing".
We are not gonna publish the application on Ovi store, because it is written only for this company.

- Are we allowed to sell to an company with out publishing on Ovi store?
- What do we need to do such selling?
- Right now we are working on the free version, but which License do we need when we are selling to an company?
- Is there a price difference when if we want a closed code and not an open code. (So you can't copy our code)?

I hope you can help us.
It is really important for our economy chapter for our assignment.

[tamhanna]

Do you want to sell it to other firms or end consumers?

Sorry, but we need more info here...

[nqrgaard]

Okay.
We want to sell to just one firm and no end consumers. We have made the application specielly for that firms needs. Is it enough or what do you need?

[petrib]

- Are we allowed to sell to an company with out publishing on Ovi store?

Most definitely. Ovi Store is just one channel and operated by Nokia. You can sell your own app directly, on your web site, or on any other channel you choose to use.


- What do we need to do such selling?

A Symbian app must be signed, so that it can be installed. You need to go through Symbian Signed ( http://www.symbiansigned.com ) for that.


- Right now we are working on the free version, but which License do we need when we are selling to an company?

Up to you. You can use GPL, LGPL, your own proprietary license or whatever suits your needs and determined by what rights you wish to grant the licensor (source code or just binaries, or both).


- Is there a price difference when if we want a closed code and not an open code. (So you can't copy our code)?

Software pricing and whether the code is closed or open are different things/decisions. Here's a good article on the art of pricing software:

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articl...erDuckies.html

[nqrgaard]

Thank you very much for your reply!
So I have to get my symbian app signed. Does this cost any mony or is it just to keep an eye of whats out there?
If my app is running on Maemo platform, Nokia N900, do i have to sign up an symbian? (I read somewhere that the maemo does not have to be signed)

What is the difference of the GPL and the LGPL, since i can choose the one i like. (It costs mony right?)
I mean if i want to sell to this Firm, i have to get some kind of license to use Nokia Qt's classes and so on, right?
- Or is it just freeware, then Nokia doesn't have any profit of me using their program.

Thanks again

/Kasper

[petrib]

Maemo apps do not need to be signed. Note, though, that there's really only one maemo device model (the Nokia N900) on the market. There are many more Symbian based devices. Go to Symbian Signed web site to read up on what it means in practice.


Read these:

What proprietary software means: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprietary_software

What is meant with GPL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gpl

LGPL (after you've read the GPL article): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Les...Public_License

After that, read this, which explains multi-licensing (software with both a free and open source software license like GPL, and a commercial license): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-licensing

Then see this that compares various free software licenses to get a view on the multitude of ways to license even free and open source software: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compari...tware_licences

[nqrgaard]

Thank for your help i will do that

[nqrgaard]

I have read the links below, but i'm still not quite sure what i need.
So fare i know that i have to get a Symbian signed.
I think we are using the LGPL right now. (Open code, right?)
If we want to have a closed code, we have to get the commercial?
- How much does this commercial license cost?

/Kasper

[tamhanna]

For Qt, you dont need a commercial license to make a commercial app. The LGPL is only stringent in regards to changes to the Qt library itself