ysengrin: Yep, that's me. (Default)
[personal profile] ysengrin
Via Make:Online, here's part of the license for use of the just-released Microsoft Kinect SDK beta ...

Can I use the SDK Beta to build applications that are used in-house in running my business, so long as I do not share them with my customers?
No. Under the terms of the license for this SDK Beta, you cannot deploy applications created with the SDK Beta for use in your business operations. Even if no fee is charged or received in connection with such use, such use in a business is still a commercial use and is not permitted under the SDK Beta license.


So, if I were to use that Kinect-driven animatronic in the YouTube video (posted a few days ago) in a commercial haunt, I'd be in violation of Microsoft's licensing -- if I were to use their drivers, as opposed to the open source ones that have been available for months. Oh, I'd also be required to drive it from a Windows box.

As a commenter wrote at Make:Online, "This is a surprise because when the OS drivers were released, MS clarified that as long as the hardware was not modified that they didn't mind what we did with it and were in fact intrigued and inspired by what the community were doing. It turns out that was an engineer speaking. Now that the lawyers have got hold of it it ..."

That's a nice piece of hardware you re-branded, Microsoft, too bad you still don't get the appeal of it.

(no subject)

Date: 2011-06-17 09:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] graemelion.livejournal.com
It truly sounds like their tech people, the ones that release this stuff DO get the appeal of it.

The marketing people come in, as usual, and squash anything that looks like it might make money or take money away from the product's main use case.

*sighs* Then the lawyers and the upper management take over and listen to the $$ everytime.

(no subject)

Date: 2011-06-19 06:20 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thewerewolf.livejournal.com
MSFT is planning on making a commercial SDK soon.

But yeah, this is kind of dense (esp given what they're doing over in the WP7 hacking world). These hacks have sold millions of Kinect devices - why do they care what people are using them for?

I have heard that they're planning on releasing a Kinect for Windows that will be redesigned for more robust use (for example, the tilt motor on the Kinect is very fragile and can only be moved once every 5-10s).

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