TBB commercial license required?

[Blues_Young]

Hello,

Our company want to use TBB to develop acommercial software, which will beclosed-source and not free.

My question is, can we use TBB open source version(Commercial Aligned Release)?

[Blues_Young]

just saw another personmay have the same question as I:

http://software.intel.com/en-us/forums/showthread.php?t=64297#

almost the same scenarios.

TBB license doubt

---

Hello,

I want to use TBB is a closed-source(propietary) and non-free(commercial) project in this way:
I'll generate an executable application just using the TBB library which dynamically-links to the TBB runtime DLL. I won't modify the TBB sources nor the runtime binary... I just want to use TBB runtime+TBB C++ templates in my executable closed-sourced and non-free application.
Finally, as I need to create a Windows installer for my application, I need to embed the runtime TBB library inside the installer and then, on the installation process, to copy the TBB runtime DLL to my app's folder.


I see TBB is now licensed over the GPL2 with the runtime exception which says:

"As a special exception, you may use this file as part of a FREE software
library without restriction. Specifically, if other files instantiate
templates or use macros or inline functions from this file, or you compile
this file and link it with other files to produce an executable, this
file does not by itself cause the resulting executable to be covered by
the GNU General Public License. This exception does not however
invalidate any other reasons why the executable file might be covered by
the GNU General Public License."

The problem is that "free" word. As my application is not-free(commercial) I don't know if I could use your TBB library without having to provide all my source codes in a direct or indirect way(FTP,etc).

Could you clarify me that, please?
Thanks.

[Igor_V_Intel]

Dear customer,

I am presently investigating your question and will get back to you shortly with an update.

Regards,

Igor

[Igor_V_Intel]

Good comment on this gave Robert Reed in the thread you talked about:

"This is not a legal opinion and I am not authorized by Intel to provide legal advice, but... it sounds to me like you might want to buy a commerical Intel Threading Building Blocks (Intel TBB) license to use with your closed-source, commerical project/product. Then it doesn't matter what is the correct legal interpretation of the GPL V2 license with runtime exception with respect to the word, "free," because you'd be distributing on the commercial license, which offers a redistribution license contained in the file, redist.txt. It lets commercial licensees redistribute both libraries and header files. Intel offers commercial licensing to provide just such flexibility."

Actually, I can't give you a legal advice on this question related with open-source version of TBB, but this explanation from Robert sounds correct for me.

[Blues_Young]

Thank you for the quick reply Igor!

So we will buy thecommercial license as well.

[Anderson_Yang]

Hello Igor, here is an update:

Finally we bought a floating license, but seems there is no license check during software compiling: no entry in Flexlm server log shows therere connections between the license server and user workstations.

Since were not using any Intel Compiler (gcc instead), and we dont want to make any illegal use for the software, to take control of the concurrent users are important.

TBB has been installed on several workstations, is there a way tocontrolthe active builds / concurrent users?

[Yuan_C_Intel]

Hi, Anderson

I have received your same issue in Quad and replied your question. We can discuss more there.

Thank you.

[jose-maria-gomez-ver]

If you use the headers of TBB you are including part of the code in your software. So, if you use the open-source version of TBB and according to GPLv2, you can make commercial software, but you must give you source to the customer. What is even more, you must allow the customer to share that code, modify, and redistribute it.

If you want to make a closed application, i mean, if you dont wanna give your source, you need to get a commercial licensed TBB version.