Let me explain what's going on with them. This isn't "official" but what I could figure out during my years of using Highslide.
Earlier they used to sell unlimited licenses for inclusion in software, like SMF Gallery Pro does -- meaning anyone owning the software could use it. However, it's pretty complicated because if you use Highslide directly without using the software it was included it, it might be argued that you're using it outside of their license rights.
So basically, they'd rather have "big" software include the library, AND specify it's not free for commercial use -- like we did in AeMe. Because of this, anyone using the library for commercial reason WILL be forced to purchase a license, whatever happens.
So that's it: they'd rather sell plenty of $30 licenses than a single unlimited $180 license with everyone thinking they're free to use it, even outside of the license boundaries.
If I may, I'd say it makes sense, but they should be clearer about it. It's in their interest to be distributed, and used, as widely as possible. The license will be broken by many commercial websites, but their exposure will be greater and thus it'll help their sales.
Problem is, I don't give a damn about that. It was okay for AeMe which to me was in the end a niche product (even though it ended up being the best known SMF package), but it's not something I can consider for Wedge, which I'd really like to see become a suitable alternative to not only SMF, but also the commercial competition. And I don't see the point of telling people that "they need to pay something" at some point. No. I'd rather they donate money to us than to a software component we've been using and that can easily be replaced with another solution.
JW Player is also an issue in itself, but the issue is more likely on THEIR side -- i.e. they switched from a very free license to something more closed, but didn't consider the legal issues of it, and in the end I think it's just a way for them to make some pocket money, like I did when I renamed Foxy! to AeMe2: there's no master plan, they're just trying to entice more people into buying a commercial version or something. Using the watermark-free version is within the limits of their license rights. If anyone wants to double check, I'm okay with that. (And yes I really like JW Player -- not for the player itself, but for the spectrum analyzer. You know, the animations when I'm playing an MP3. It's not a core component, it's an external plugin.)
Earlier they used to sell unlimited licenses for inclusion in software, like SMF Gallery Pro does -- meaning anyone owning the software could use it. However, it's pretty complicated because if you use Highslide directly without using the software it was included it, it might be argued that you're using it outside of their license rights.
So basically, they'd rather have "big" software include the library, AND specify it's not free for commercial use -- like we did in AeMe. Because of this, anyone using the library for commercial reason WILL be forced to purchase a license, whatever happens.
So that's it: they'd rather sell plenty of $30 licenses than a single unlimited $180 license with everyone thinking they're free to use it, even outside of the license boundaries.
If I may, I'd say it makes sense, but they should be clearer about it. It's in their interest to be distributed, and used, as widely as possible. The license will be broken by many commercial websites, but their exposure will be greater and thus it'll help their sales.
Problem is, I don't give a damn about that. It was okay for AeMe which to me was in the end a niche product (even though it ended up being the best known SMF package), but it's not something I can consider for Wedge, which I'd really like to see become a suitable alternative to not only SMF, but also the commercial competition. And I don't see the point of telling people that "they need to pay something" at some point. No. I'd rather they donate money to us than to a software component we've been using and that can easily be replaced with another solution.
JW Player is also an issue in itself, but the issue is more likely on THEIR side -- i.e. they switched from a very free license to something more closed, but didn't consider the legal issues of it, and in the end I think it's just a way for them to make some pocket money, like I did when I renamed Foxy! to AeMe2: there's no master plan, they're just trying to entice more people into buying a commercial version or something. Using the watermark-free version is within the limits of their license rights. If anyone wants to double check, I'm okay with that. (And yes I really like JW Player -- not for the player itself, but for the spectrum analyzer. You know, the animations when I'm playing an MP3. It's not a core component, it's an external plugin.)
