Licence prohibits use by amateurs & hobbyists!!

[Andrew Neil]

Posted on October 16, 2010 at 15:05

http://www.st.com/stm-32discovery

is the URL given conspicuously on the Discovery Kit packaging - at least twice. On that page, it says,''This is an evaluation product with the purpose to evaluate the STM32 microcontroller. Before installing and using the product, please accept the

http://www.st.com/stonline/products/families/microcontrollers/licence_agreement.pdf

'' And this Licence Agreement says, in bold,''You warrant to ST that the Evaluation Product will be used and managed solely and exclusively in a laboratory by skilled professional employees of Yours with proven expertise in the use and management of such products'' So this licence specifically prohibits use by amateurs and hobbyists!! Do ST specially select their legal team for its foot-shooting ability?!!

[jacques23]

Posted on November 05, 2010 at 04:29 And for students ! As a teacher i just baught 12 for the lab. I am so sad i can't use them, it was a nice board

[STM32 hobbyist]

Posted on November 08, 2010 at 18:32

Hi,

I don't think so. The concept of this board is to enable the students to discover the STM32. So, I don't think that ST prohibits them to use it!!

[Tesla DeLorean]

Posted on November 09, 2010 at 03:43

I don't think so. The concept of this board is to enable the students to discover the STM32. So, I don't think that ST prohibits them to use it!!

Perhaps, but then you have the Legal and Sale Prevention team to deal with

[Andrew Neil]

Posted on November 09, 2010 at 15:47

''The concept of this board is to enable the students to discover the STM32''

Is it? Do you speak as an official representative of STM on that? But I do agree that this board should make an ideal introduction for students & hobbyists - except that ST's own licence terms specifically prohibit anyone other than professional employees from using it! I know that sounds stupid, but look at the licence document and see for yourself  ''I don't think that ST prohibits them to use it!'' Yes, they do!  this is a verbatim quote from ST's licence terms for the STM32VL Discovery Board: ''You warrant to ST that the Evaluation Product will be used and managed solely and exclusively in a laboratory by skilled professional employees of Yours with proven expertise in the use and management of such products'' Stupid - but that is what they say!! ''solely and exclusively by skilled professional employees''does exclude students and hobbyists! Unless you can think of another reading of that text?

[qili]

Posted on November 11, 2010 at 02:23

not really because ST didn't exactly define ''laboratory'', ''skilled'', ''professional'', etc. there.

so you can argue that your home constitutes a ''laboratory'', ''skilled'' applies to anyone who can launch an ide, ''professional'' are people who work for a living, at least 15 minutes a day, etc. it is stupid that ST introduced such a poorly written document, and it would be more stupid if ST tried to enforce it.

[Andrew Neil]

Posted on November 11, 2010 at 09:39

''it is stupid that ST introduced such a poorly written document, and it would be more stupid if ST tried to enforce it.''

I totally agree! It seems that ST have taken some notice of this, because there is now ''v2.0'' of the licence agreement:

http://www.linkedin.com/redirect?url=http://www.st.com/internet/com/LEGAL_RESOURCES/LEGAL_AGREEMENT/LICENSE_AGREEMENT/EvaluationProductLicenseAgreement.pdf&urlhash=oL0Y&_t=tracking_disc

It now says (still in bold),''The Evaluation Product is addressing (sic) only skilled and training (sic) technical people for laboratory usage'' Which is so vague and poorly written as to be virtually meaningless!