Objective Development Forums

Hi!

I would like ask if it is possible to sublicense the USB ID's? I use the provided VID/PID's according to the "USB-License.txt" file, i.e. I set my own string identifiers as required, but: I want to define a PROTOCOL, that other people could reuse. It would be nice, If I could let the people use MY string identifiers so that utilities I PROVIDED could be used with any other implementation of this protocol. (i.e. the implementation doesn't have to be exactly the same, but it has to conform with some protocol specification)

So my question is: is it possible to "sublicence" my manufacturer/product string identifiers (used according to the "USB-License.txt") so that people can reuse my utilities without changing them with their own implementation of some protocol?

Thanks!

(P.S. I'm asking here, because this could be of interrest to other people...)

If you have control over the manufacturer string's domain, you are responsible for it. If you allow others to use it, that's your (potential) problem, and that of those people who use it.

It might still be a good idea to get your own Product ID in this case because you don't have to worry about string identifiers and sharing of IDs on Windows may have unexpected consequences.

You can get a PID of your own with a AVR-USB Hobby License for 10 EUR, or you can get one from one of the other sources on the web.

christian wrote:If you have control over the manufacturer string's domain, you are responsible for it. If you allow others to use it, that's your (potential) problem, and that of those people who use it.

ok, thanks!

It might still be a good idea to get your own Product ID in this case because you don't have to worry about string identifiers and sharing of IDs on Windows may have unexpected consequences.

You can get a PID of your own with a AVR-USB Hobby License for 10 EUR, or you can get one from one of the other sources on the web.

Well, ATM it's about a small hobby project, so I don't plan buy PID just now. I just want to publish the project and have everyone the freedom to reuse it in some reasonable way, so I'll probably stick with "sublicensing" now...

(I don't use windows, so this is no problem for me...)

BTW, If I buy the "AVR-USB Hobby License" and publish the project as GPL, are there any limitations as what can I do with the PID (i.e. how many products I or others may build, etc.)?

If the PID is your own, there is no limitation on what you may do with it.