Which Qt license needed for in-house tools?

**Boron** · 27th February 2009, 17:23

Hello,

in our company we are developing automotive steering systems. To improve our software development process we have ideas for some new tools that could easily be implemented using the Qt library.
These tools would be used solely inside our company. They will never be products itself and therefore never be sold or given away in any form.

Will it necessary to buy a commercial license of Qt or can we develop the tools with the open source edition?

**ComaWhite** · 27th February 2009, 17:38

I would do it under GPL just in case. Unless you know you might release it later on to the public. But if you think you might but don't wanna release the source you'll need commerical unless LGPL I think. I know you say it will be in house. But always change your mind.

**Boron** · 1st March 2009, 14:56

OK. This sounds logical.
We will just put a notice that the tool is licensed under GPL and we are legally on the safe side.
Thanks a lot

.

**rexi** · 3rd March 2009, 16:59

Originally Posted by Boron

Will it necessary to buy a commercial license of Qt or can we develop the tools with the open source edition?

Whatever you develop and use in-house, you develop and use in-house. GPL doesn't require you to publish anything, unless you publish that software to customers. So, you are safe using the GPL edition of Qt and do not need to buy a commercial version of it.

**a5164000** · 22nd December 2015, 04:54

This is a rather old thread, but let me ask this question ...

What if I use the in-house software developed using qt (open source version) for customer presentation? Or take the screenshot of the software to paste to PowerPoint for presenation? Are they in-house use? If not, to whom should I release the source code?

**anda_skoa** · 22nd December 2015, 10:31

If you are not giving the software to anyone then it is ver likely considered in-house.

But that is irrelevant anyway, the LGPL does not give you obligations to release the sources of your application linking with the LGPL licensed Qt.

Cheers,
_

**a5164000** · 22nd December 2015, 23:02

Thanks. That clears things up and secures my mind

Originally Posted by anda_skoa

If you are not giving the software to anyone then it is ver likely considered in-house.

But that is irrelevant anyway, the LGPL does not give you obligations to release the sources of your application linking with the LGPL licensed Qt.

Cheers,
_