Distributing a VBA app to clients... licensing?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kenneth E. Coakley
  • Start date Start date
K

Kenneth E. Coakley

We're in the process of developing an Excel based VBA application that we
would like to distribute to several clients. I would like to know what the
licensing issues are in regards to distributing this app to clients. Do we
need to pay Microsoft?

Any info and/or links to official sites with info would be greatly
appreciated.

Sincerely,
Ken Coakley
 
Ken,

No, you don't need permission or a license from MS to distribute Excel/VBA
applications, nor do you have to pay any sort of royalty. Of course, you
can't distribute Excel itself with your application; end users must have a
valid copy of Excel.


--
Cordially,
Chip Pearson
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Pearson Software Consulting, LLC
www.cpearson.com
 
Chip,

Thanks for the quick reply. You've confirmed my suspicions regarding VBA
licensing/royalty issues. Not to be a pest, but do you know of an official
Microsoft source that confirms this? The powers-that-be here need to see
something "in writing" before we can proceed with development.

Thanks again for your help.

Sincerely,
Ken Coakley
 
Ken:

You may have to search for a specific statement that will fully satisfy the
powers-that-be. The permissions I've seen might be considered more implied
than outright in the most literal legal sense. Even the EULA (End User
License Agreement, which can be accessed via Help) doesn't seem to say
directly but the reading I give it is that the restrictions are on the Excel
program itself, NOT any files you make *from* Excel (which makes sense).

Here is a link to the OfficeXP Developer Guide on MSDN. (This is the
documentation that came with the Developer Edition). An Office 2000 version
is in the same place. For Office 97, look at Knowledge base article
Q163410.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/modcore/html/deoriMicrosoftOffice200
2Developer.asp?frame=true

Microsoft freely discusses how to distribute customized Office apps, wizards
and addins. Few, if any, licensing prohibitions are mentioned.

Of course, you can't distribute Excel, Word, themselves. But you can freely
distribute Microsoft's viewers for Excel, Word. If you own the Office
Developer's Edition you can freely distribute a Runtime version of Access.

Good luck with your powers-that-be,
 
Ken:

You may have to search for a specific statement that will fully satisfy the
powers-that-be. The permissions I've seen might be considered more implied
than outright in the most literal legal sense. Even the EULA (End User
License Agreement, which can be accessed via Help) doesn't seem to say
directly but the reading I give it is that the restrictions are on the Excel
program itself, NOT any files you make *from* Excel (which makes sense).

Here is a link to the OfficeXP Developer Guide on MSDN. (This is the
documentation that came with the Developer Edition). An Office 2000 version
is in the same place. For Office 97, look at Knowledge base article
Q163410.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/modcore/html/deoriMicrosoftOffice200
2Developer.asp?frame=true

Microsoft freely discusses how to distribute customized Office apps, wizards
and addins. Few, if any, licensing prohibitions are mentioned.

Of course, you can't distribute Excel, Word, themselves. But you can freely
distribute Microsoft's viewers for Excel, Word. If you own the Office
Developer's Edition you can freely distribute a Runtime version of Access.

Good luck with your powers-that-be,
Click to expand...


You could also ask them (the powers) to define exactly how a
custom app differs from a simple spreadsheet... (just for the
amusement value of course)
 
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