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Originally posted by 144Hz
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KDE use to have extensions to Qt that were its own. Including extensions that worked around particular bugs. This code was LGPL licensed. Nokia cut a legal deal to merge this code back into main Qt Software.
KDE Free Qt Foundation was in fact setup in Trolltech time when Trolltech was in money trouble developers working on KDE helped them out on development 1998 and got the right to re-license as BSD Trolltech did attempt to take this back and 2004 gave with a new agreement to avoid breach of contract. This is when clause 2.1 in the agreement started over time this has got broader covering.
All the agreements between the KDE free qt foundation and the companies selling Qt as a product are on that page.
Please note without Nokia merging LGPL code from KDE without a contributor agreement/CLA on it we would not be in the position where the current "the Qt Company" does not have the right to re-license the complete code base or has to obey LGPL terms.
Remember every time a company has done a agreement giving Kde Free Qt Foundation more power they though that were doing what was in their best interest.
When Nokia got qt in 2009 they had not interest in doing professional services they just cared that Qt was under a license that would allow them to keep making product from it with the least cost to them so to them that the code base would be LGPL forever more was not a problem.
Please also note KDE Free Qt Foundation is registered in Germany this is where the strict conflict of interest laws come from for board members if it was the USA "the Qt company" would be able to block the vote with their own board members. Heck if KDE Free Qt foundation was a Finland registered company like the "the Qt Company" it would also be like the USA. Sometimes the country of registration of a organisation is important this is one of these times.
144Hz this is road to legal hell for "the Qt Company" now paved with Trolltech and Nokia good intentions for themselves. Everything I have answered you with is backed by documents on the public record.
The reality if "the Qt company" delays the open source release by 12 months there are two groups that can come after it.
1) The parties that are the Authors to the code Nokia merged into Qt under pure LGPL and other groups that have submitted LGPL code since because this code is not covered by the contribution agreement.
2) KDE Free Qt Foundation. Yes there is every chance that "the Qt company" has missed that the KDE Free Qt foundation German registered and not noticed what effect that has for their board members on that vote on 3 iv if it ever called. KDAB will be more than aware of this because they are a German company with a German legal department.
The first point is caused by Nokia. The second one is caused by Trolltech.
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