Re: [Flightgear-devel] Flight Pro Sim Statement (v1.3)

[Stuart B. <stu...@ya...>]

Hi All,

I've received a couple of final comments. V1.4 of the statement is below. 

I think we've now got a statement that everyone on the -dev list is happy with. 

Curt - Can you please uploaded it to the main FG website and add a link from the Announcements
page. I'll then send out some emails to various FlightSim websites.

Thanks to everyone for commenting.

-Stuart

Jon S. Bernt wrote:
> FlightGear is AN open source flight simulator.
Whoops. Corrected.

John Denker wrote:
>> Q: Is it legal for the makers of Flight Pro Sim to simply re-brand FlightGear ?
>> A: Yes. Under the GNU GPL v2
>> (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html), this is legal, provided
>> that they distribute the source code (or make it available). We do
>> not know if this is the case or not.
>
>It would be better to leave out the initial "Yes" here.
>
>A similar "Yes" was removed from the next FAQ.  The same
>logic applies here.
Good point. Sorted.

Bob Faulkner wrote:
>>Q: I have purchased Flight Pro Sim. Can I get a refund ?
>>A: That is something you will have to take up with the distributors of Flight
>>Pro Sim. 
>
>Change "makers" to "distributors"
Curt also suggested "affiliate", but I think that's something that will be lost on the average 
buyer, and (as Bob pointed out) distributor is the phrase used in the GPL, so I've used 
"distributor".

===

FlightGear Flight Pro Sim Statement (v1.4):

As many people will be aware, there is a new flight simulator product that is being widely and actively
marketed at the moment - Flight Pro Sim. As it is almost entirely based on FlightGear, there is 
some confusion between the two. To help provide some clarity, and answer some
common questions, we (the core FlightGear development team) felt it was appropriate to make a statement, and provide a FAQ.

FlightGear is an open-source flight simulator that was started in 1996. It is released under
the GNU General Public License v2, and as such, it is free to use, modify and distribute with few restrictions. It has been
developed with the collaboration of a large number of individuals over the last 12 years. FlightGear can
be downloaded at no cost from http://www.flightgear.org.

Flight Pro Sim is a commercial product very heavily based on FlightGear.
Investigation by a number of the FlightGear developers has found no difference between this and the 
FlightGear v1.9.1 release other than a change of name. Flight Pro Sim
is in no way endorsed or supported by the core FlightGear development team.

Given the similarities between Flight Pro Sim and FlightGear, we would recommend that prospective buyers download
FlightGear for free and satisfy themselves that Flight Pro Sim provides worthwhile value for money before purchasing it.

FAQ:

Q: What is the difference between FlightGear and Flight Pro Sim?
A: As far as we have been able to make out, the only difference between FlightGear v1.9.1 and Flight Pro Sim is a change in
name throughout the software, and the fact that you have to pay for it.

Q: Is it legal for the makers of Flight Pro Sim to simply re-brand FlightGear ?
A: Under the GNU GPL v2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html), this is legal, provided that they distribute the
source code (or make it available). We do not know if this is the case or not. 

Q: Is it legal to sell a copy of FlightGear, whether re-branded or not ?
A: Yes, provided the seller is in compliance with a number of conditions detailed in the GPL. In
fact, those interested in receiving a DVD containing FlightGear may do so through
the main FlightGear website, and directly contribute to the project (though they may 
want to wait for the upcoming release in the new year).

Q: Has Flight Pro Sim paid any money to FlightGear for the rights to the program ?
A: No. No such payment is required, as FlightGear is GPL software.

Q: Why do the FlightGear developers allow this ?
A: The freedom to modify and enhance FlightGear is a core part of the project, and of open-source
in general. Restricting the modifications that are allowed and what people can do with the software
goes against that ethos.

Q: Is there any relationship between the makers of Flight Pro Sim and the FlightGear Project?
A: No.

Q: Has Flight Pro Sim contributed to the FlightGear project at all ?
A: No.

Q: I have purchased Flight Pro Sim. Can I get a refund ?
A: That is something you will have to take up with the distributors of Flight Pro Sim.