Learning License

[Nove]

I'm on learning edition, so I was wondering, what's the length on what I can do? I heard that I'm not supposed to distribute any programs I made, but does that just mean if I'm making some kind of profit on them or if I've got it up for a public download or just sending it to a friend or what? Also, with microsoft dropping support of VB6, am I still restricted by this?

[Comintern]

I'm almost certain that there are no restrictions at all on the programs you write other than logistical ones. Think of VB6 as consisting of 2 seperate parts - the IDE and the compiler. The IDE is just a glorified text editor sitting on top of the compiler. Thus, if you can get them compiled with a licenced copy of VB6 (Learning Edition will not compile an exe), you are as free to distribute them as you would be if you wrote them in Notepad or Word (although that might change - see this link: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/tcpa-faq.html )

[Nove]

Uh, learning edition compiles .exes. I've made tons of 'em.

[Comintern]

Are you talking about Learning Edition, or a student licence? To my understanding Learning Edition will only compile to P-Code, not machine code.

[Nove]

Actually, the box does say "Deluxe Learning Edition", maybe that has something to do with it? Either way, I can compile exes so how does that pertain to my license?

[dglienna]

You are not allowed to sell any programs that are developed with the learning edition. that's why it was sold so cheaply to the student that bought it. sometimes the schools give them away.

i turned down a copy of Net Learning Edition when I saw that restriction. This was a few months ago.

[Nove]

Since this topic was removed from the classic vb forums I should clarify that this is on VB6. Now, aside from not being able to sell anything (i'm not planning on it) are there any other restrictions?

[dglienna]

It appeared to be the complete program. If you have the MSDN CD then it is truely worth its weight in gold. I'm still looking for a way to get a copy. I've emailed M$ and they never responded.

[Nove]

Yes, my set came with an installation CD, as well as the MSDN library CD. It does not, however, come with a license to use certain controls like winsock. Are you saying I CAN distribute programs?

[Comintern]

You are not allowed to sell any programs that are developed with the learning edition. that's why it was sold so cheaply to the student that bought it. sometimes the schools give them away.

I'm still sure that this is not true. You are bound only by the licensing of the individual components that you distribute with your executable. Your code is not tied to the IDE in any way, and remains your intellectual property. If somebody else compiles your code for you, and gives you all rights to the compiled program, you own it -- period. Think of it this way. If you wrote all of your code in Notepad you would own your code. Importing that code into another piece of software can't waive your rights to it. That would be like Microsoft putting language in their license agreements to the effect that musicians would lose rights to their royalties if it was opened in Media Player. It would also mean that 3rd parties could not legally write commercial software. Consider the situation where a company contracts for a piece of software, and then sells the program that they are delivered. Perfectly legal. If I compile your program for you and sell it to you for $0, you can turn around and sell the program that you are delivered. Perfectly legal.

BTW, editions are described at the link below. Sounds like you have some kind of student license.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;191037

[dglienna]

I think their point is that you can compile for class or as a hobby but not to sell the projects. I'm not sure if they could ever trace it back, or what the penalty would be, but I read the license a few months ago on the student version of Net that my friend got from school before Christmas. She was going to give me the cd, but I found a way to get them from M$ by watching the online courses, so I did that instead.

[Kasracer]

I'm still sure that this is not true.
It is true. You are not allowed to sell software made with a student edition of Visual Studio or any individual part of it (i.e. Visual Basic, Visual C#, ect..).

You could always write it then compile it with their free compilers but since you wrote everything in their IDE, you might still be bound by that restriction.

I don't believe they have any ways to trace back what version your program was written and compiled in so it probably doesn't matter.

[dglienna]

there are no free compiler. but having a licensed version doesn't prevent you from compiling someone elses code. once it's compiled, it is probably untraceable. not positive, though.

[Kasracer]

there are no free compiler. but having a licensed version doesn't prevent you from compiling someone elses code. once it's compiled, it is probably untraceable. not positive, though.
I was refering to the .Net compilers mostly. I couldn't remmeber if there was one for VB6 or not