Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!news.cs.indiana.edu!widener!netnews.upenn.edu!eniac.seas.upenn.edu!porten
From: porten@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Jeffrey  Porten)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: Database licensing
Message-ID: <40709@netnews.upenn.edu>
Date: 8 Apr 91 17:45:48 GMT
References: <1991Mar27.061157.6239@mcs.drexel.edu>
Sender: news@netnews.upenn.edu
Reply-To: porten@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Jeffrey  Porten)
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Pennsylvania
Lines: 36
Nntp-Posting-Host: eniac.seas.upenn.edu


I am involved with an organization that is in the process of developing 
a database which we will distribute.  The organization is non-profit, and
our plans are currently to not make any profits off of the distribution.

I need some information about getting licenses for this project.  Our
current plans are to use one of the following three platforms: Hypercard,
Filemaker Pro, or 4th Dimension.

Hypercard has the advantage of being unlicensed, so there's no legal problem.
Plus, two of our committee members have experience with Hyperscript.  
What it can't do is many dbase functions that would be useful; we will also
be working with a large and expanding amount of data (starting around 1 meg,
with quarterly or so additions), which we would like to sort and collate
easily.

Filemaker Pro can do this, but we would need Claris' permission to distribute
the dbase, since we would need to give out a copy of Pro to use the dbase.
I rpesume that they would require the user to pay for the copy they receive,
which would make our program $100 or more; we were hoping for an end cost
of $10 or less.

4th Dimension gets around this problem, I think.  Am I correct in assuming
that stand-alone dbases from 4th are free of legal hassles?  Are there
any restrictions?  Problme with this is the cost of acquiring a copy (are
there non-profit or student rates?), and learning to program in their
language.

I do not normally monitor this group; please send replies in e-mail to
sjporte@asc.upenn.edu or porten@eniac.seas.upenn.edu.

--

Jeff Porten, Annenberg School for Communication, UPenn (sjporte@asc.upenn.edu)
             Graduate Group in American Civilization, UPenn
                                                 (porten@eniac.seas.upenn.edu)