kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Lorenzo Marcantonio <l.marcantonio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 09 Sep 2015 22:45:08 +0200,
LordBlick wrote:

> Give the job to Chuck Norris

Invoking the Roundhouse Kick License Exception ? :D

It's not the first time Mentor backtracks on licensing terms. The IPC
footprint calculator (pcb-libraries, Valor... it's Mentor behind them
:D) was first a freely downloadable demo (at the time of the B
specification), it did the calculations but didn't generate the actual
footprint files.

Then it was retired, because for the demo you had to buy the IPC specs
(and still didn't generate footprint without an additional node-locked
per-CAD license!).

These days is called 'footprint expert' and the free version only makes
files with the default settings of the C "standard" revision (quotes
because it will never become the C revision standard, it's being
reworked in the IPC-M-440 or something like that). Still need to pay for
changing options :P

As far of the licensing terms, it seems the 'partner' rules are
something like "you have to advertise for Mentor in your product" :D

Could be doable *if* they don't require some kind of fiscal company
registration or stuff.

Also I didn't read very positive reviews about that standard :P seems
another failed try to 'proprietarize' the PCB workflow chain (IPC at
least don't ask for a license for implementation...)

-- 
Lorenzo Marcantonio
Logos Srl