I am confused about PDFCreator use for commercial purposes.
I have few simple questions and I would like to get simple answers :-)
1) Can I use PDFCreator (distributed as part of our software) for commercial purposes?
2) Can I use PDFCreator for commercial purposes if I will not distribute it as part of my software? Users will install it on ther machines.
3) Is there any chance to use PDFCreator (internaly or externaly) as PDF engine in my commercial software (not GPL, not open source). If I have to buy some licence, do you have some pricelist?
I would like to use its COM interface, or batch scripts to pritnt PDF silently. I know that there is some problem with Ghostscript licence, not with PDFCreator licence.
You aren’t the only one that is confused given all the contradictory licensing present and the usual refusal to specify clearly if one is referencing PDFCreator the “package” vs. PDFCreator the “software.” I believe when a user references PDFCreator they typically mean the “package” while the pdfforge people mean the “software” which simply adds to the confusion.
The “package” consists of many licenses, best (but not completely) described in the installer:
I’ve found the best description in the installer itself:
This program is under GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE (see below).
Other Software used in the Project may be released under different licenses:
Ghostscript: GNU General Public License, see below
pdfcmon.dll, Images2PDF, PDFArchitect: pdfforge Freeware License, see below
pdfforge.dll: FairPlay License, see below
OpenCandy: OpenCandy End User License Agreement
The “software” is supposedly all GPL, but there is constant mention of this “FairPlay” license and not being able to sell “PDFCreator,” but again it is unclear if that refers to the “software” or the “package.” I do not know what specifically the “FairPlay” license applies to.
In any case, PDFCreator (the software) is built on Ghostscript, so the license for Ghostscript still applies for your use. PDFCreator is not a replacement for Ghostscript.
@scoubidou: You are wrong there. Because PDFCreator is free software, if may not be used in commercial applications. This is a direct requirement from the GPL, that software that is linked to GPLed software, has to be released under the terms of the GPL as well.
@cardel: This is really tricky, I will send you a mail about this, as it requires commercial licensing of Ghostscript, which realy is expensive (~ 50.000 $ per year), which is why we don’t have that.
GNU Ghoscript is under the GNU GPL license : http://www.gnu.org/software/ghostscript/ And why remove Redmon now it is released under a GPL license? Your choices are strange. You remove all that is under GNU GPL license and replace by propriétary code and then, you say PDF Creator is a free software under a GNU GPL license? And when we ask you why you are doing that, your anwser is very strange too (you want to prevent the selling of PDF Creator???). But the GNU GPL is made to help selling softwares. I really think you don’t understand what is a free software or you are not honest. I will write to GPL violation about this and discuss about it on the freesoftwares websites.
We have replaced RedMon quite a while before it was put under the GPL. And it still does not work properly on Windows 7 and Terminal Servers as the code that impersonates a user does not work. So this is the reason why we are not using RedMon anymore.
And in opposition to what you say we did not “remove all that is under GNU GPL license”, the PDFCreator application still is fully licensed under the terms of the GPL and complies with all of that.