I never understood why some freeware developers say "Don't use these plugins for commercial music" on their license agreements.

So they only want people who like to play with plugins at home to use their software? Or people who just make demos and stuff?

Why wouldn't they want professional musicians to use their product?

Which one say that?

Really stupid if true..

It is sometimes the case with donationware..

Many reasons, some good and some bad, but the one I like best is wanting to encourage a culture of sharing one's labors selflessly.

Yeah but I mean if everybody did that there would be no economy/industry and everybody would be living in caves and there would be no computers etc...

Isn't it a compliment if a professional musician chooses to use your software?

i can totally understand that some free developers don't want their work to be used in advertising or in any corporate context. i doubt anyone will have a problem with an artist using it on an album though. if in doubt just drop the developer a line and ask.

For example..?

Well, not for/to everybody. Some people value artistry higher than money and believe that the music industry is harmful to music. Some people want to do something unselfish and clean. Some people just plain loathe commerce altogether. Some devs write plugs to impose their metaphysics on their users. As I wrote, there are lots of good and bad reasons.

Still, it's no big deal. If you don't like a license (and why should you have to?) just choose a different plug and go make some music. It's not like we aren't awash in a sea of suitable alternatives.

tbt's tls 3127 and 2095 come to mind.

Hmmm, but if everybody would use freeware plug-ins there would be no economy/industry and everybody would be living in caves and there would be no computers etc...

Hey, I'm offering freeware myself, I shouldn't have said this...

Cheesr, Björn

On the latest "CM plugins" there's a doc called "Terms of Use.rtf" which states:



I just read that yesterday evening and I wonder about that "used for commercial purposes"...


I don't have any income from music, so my music is (technically) non commercial; anyway I avoid everything that puts limitations on what I can do with my work.
I would be fine with paying a definite amount for commercial usage, but when a license doesn't state that and just forbids commercial usage (or puts other limitations I don't agree with), then I don't bother with that thing.

That's a weird legal statement from CM. Their lawyers did a lousy job, I don't think they intended that the SW can't be used to produce commercial tracks. And if so, it's one of the most bizarre legal contracts I've seen, then. I suspect they didn't want the SW to be used in commercial situations such as being resold on DVDs or over the net, myself...

I think so, too; anyway I think I'll write to cm to ask for clarification.

Why would they want someone to profit from something they gave them for free?



So there'd have been no professional musicians in the first place. Problem solved, then.

That's basically saying the "software supplied...must not be sold, used for commercial purposes, supplied to any third party or uploaded to any websites." So yes, you can use the plugins for commercial music. No, you can't upload or sell the plugins.