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I come from a country "ALGERIA" where nobody buys a software license even the government, except fore rare cases where the government institution is very sensitive, other governmental institutions does not apply, or no crack for that software or library would be available in the internet, in most case that would be an antivirus.

So I was wondering what would happen if I link statically with LGPL Qt 5 toolkit for closed (proprietary) software!?

So, will I just be considered as law breaker!?

Will they sue me!?

What will happen!?

Q&A:

Q: Why no body buys a software license in ALGERIA?

A: Because Firstly, no body has a Credit Card, and it is very hard to get one, unless very recently Paysera gave us this opportunity, and it is still hard to debit it from Algeria because the government won't allow hard currencies to go out the country for normal people, so you have to find someone from ALGERIA living outside the country like EUROPE to send you the amount of money you need directly to your Paysera account, and when he comes back to ALGERIA you will give him that debt in the local currency. And even though no one will buy a software license, because, secondly, and the most important part is the individual income (salary) that is very cheap. For me as a "Computer Science Engineer" (with 5 years university degree in a technical branch), I am getting the equivalent of a ($250-$300) a MONTH.

I know that this Q&A has not importance, I put it though because I am pretty sure most of you will wonder why it that!.

Thank you in advance.

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  • 3
    1. Whether you are breaking a law in your country is more of a question for law.stackexchange.com. 2. If you violate a license but no one sues you, you still are violating the license. – Brandin Nov 3 '19 at 8:47
  • It's more of a question for a private attorney, not for an internet forum. – Daniel Nov 3 '19 at 13:15
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Whether you statically or dynamically link to any GPL code, you need to follow the terms of the GPL.

As you say no one in Algeria pays for software, you obviously don't expect to sell your program. If you are planning to sell it outside Algeria, then you are expecting to get money that you can use to buy a non-GPL license.

Remember the GPL only says you have to provide the code to the users of your program, you don't have to make it publicly available.

The license holders may or may not come after you for not following the licensing terms, and while I don't know what options there are for enforcing the GPL within Algeria, they have the right to try enforcing them if they so choose.

To use the Qt libraries without sharing your source code, you need a paid license. If the standard pricing is extreme for your case, you should contact the company and ask for a fair price in your local currency.

While the Qt libs may be useful they are not the only option you have, if you have trouble following the license terms, then you need to look at other options.

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  • The OP is writing about the LGPL, which, unlike the GPL, allows dynamically linking proprietary components. That said, the OP mentions static linking, so he would still be in violation. – Tin Man Nov 23 '19 at 12:42
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Will they sue me!?

They could and they should. But I don't know the business strategy of Qt (the corporation). And if I did know, I won't speak of it on a forum.

Your question is equivalent to: "I stole a piece of bread at my baker's. Will he sue me?"

The answer is always: "it depends"

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