======= Licensing and other matters ======= The license terms here apply to all versions of VFX Forth. A section of this chapter describes the additional requirements for the Community editions. Unless otherwise stated, all files are copyright MicroProcessor Engineering Limited. ************************************ Distribution of application programs ************************************ There are several ways in which VFX Forth applications can be distributed. These are: 1) Sealed turnkey application with no access to the interactive Forth. 2) Sealed except for engineering and maintenance access by the developer. 3) Open Forth interpreter/compiler provided for the end user. =========================== Sealed turnkey applications =========================== Providing that the user can have no access to the underlying Forth and its text interpreter, turnkey applications written in VFX Forth may be distributed without royalty. An acknowledgement will be gratefully appreciated. ================================== Engineering and maintenance access ================================== If the developing organisation wishes to provide what the user sees as a sealed turnkey application, but in which an open Forth can be exposed for engineering and maintenance access by the developer organisation no royalty will be charged. However a license agreement must be signed with MPE in order to protect MPE's copyright. If the company responsible for maintenance is not the developer then the maintenance company must have a license. =========================== User open Forth interpreter =========================== In order to distribute a system with an open Forth interpreter for the end user, a license agreement and royalty terms must be agreed with MPE. MPE is able to help you supply selected portions of the development environment, or to provide end user documentation. The cost of such licenses will depend on the facilities required. ********************* Distribution of files ********************* Unless special license terms say otherwise, this section applies. ------------------- Commercial editions ------------------- Windows ======= Shipped applications may be based on the files VfxBase.exe, VfxForth.exe and any number of overlays. macOS ===== Linux x86 ========= Shipped applications may be based on the file vfxlin, vfxlin386 and any number of overlays. Linux ARM ========= Shipped applications may be based on the file vfxarmlin and any number of overlays. ------------------ Community editions ------------------ Windows ======= Shipped applications may be based on the files VfxCommunity_x86_Win.exe, VfxCommunityB_x86_Win.exe and any number of overlays. macOS ===== Shipped applications may be based on the files VfxCommunity_x86_mac.mo or VfxCommunityB_x86_mac.mo. Linux x86 ========= Shipped applications may be based on the files VfxCommunity_x86_lin.elf or VfxCommunityB_386_lin.elf. Linux ARM ========= Shipped applications may be based on the files VfxCommunity_arm_lin.elf or VfxCommunityB_arm_lin.elf. All editions ------------ Object code generated from the source files can of course be included in your applications. MPE source files and all other files including editors, support programs and shared libraries are part of the development environment, which may not be distributed without prior permission in writing from MicroProcessor Engineering. However, the INI parser libraries, mpeparser.dll or libmpeparser.* may be distributed with your applications - these files are distrubuted under an MIT license. The source directories provided with VFX Forth may not be distributed, and remain the intellectual property of MicroProcessor Engineering Ltd. Some source directories, e.g. the INI parser, contain additional licenses which apply to those directories only. ****************** Community editions ****************** The terms in this section apply to the Community editions. All applications written with the Community edition must acknowlege this at sign on and in the documentation. Commercial use of Community editions is not permitted. If you sell an application written with VFX Forth, that is commercial use. If you are paid to write software with VFX Forth, that is commercial use. If you are a teacher/lecturer/professor and want to use VFX Forth in a class, that is commercial use, so contact us and we will consider your case. If you sell hardware or software but give away software written with VFX Forth to enhance it, that is still commercial use. If you think that you are a special case, please contact us and we will consider your case. ********************************** Warranties, support, and copyright ********************************** We try to make VFX Forth as reliable and bug free as we possibly can. We support our products. If you find a bug in VFX Forth or its associated programs we will do our best to fix it. Please send us sample code and a listing of the problem, and let us know the serial number of the product if a Commercial edition. We will then send you an update when we have fixed the problem. Do however, contact us or your supplier first in case the problem has already been fixed. Please note that the level of Technical Support that we can offer will depend on the Support Policy purchased with VFX Forth. Technical support is only provided for the current shipping version of VFX Forth. Make as many copies as you need for backup and security. The distribution is not copy protected. VFX Forth is copyrighted material and only *\b{one} copy of it should be in use at any one time. Contact MPE or your vendor for details of multiple copy terms and site licensing. As we sell copies of VFX Forth through dealers and purchasing departments we cannot keep track of all our users. If you fill out the registration form enclosed and send it back to us, we will put you on our mailing list. This way we will be able to keep you informed of updates and new extensions for VFX Forth. If you want direct technical support from us we will need these details to respond to you. You will find the serial number of the system on the invoice or on the email notification. === ### ===