Keil MDK unaffordable

Cocaine, Crack, and Code.

You're not wrong.

John Fields

I recall using Subversion without learning much about it thinking I would learn as I went along. It seemed to be ok for a while, but eventually I ran into some problems I didn't understand. I tried getting help in the forums on the web site and got only one person responding. I didn't know enough to answer even his basic questions and his end solution was for me to pay for a consultant. lol

The intent wasn't be be snarky, but there was no interest in helping someone without a certain level of experience with the tool. I found that to be a bit snobbish. I don't think this attitude is uncommon with the community support for open source products. I want to use tools, many in the open source community feel you should be able to write the tools.

That is why licenses are written to prevent you from claiming "incidental damages".

One of the nice things about liability law is that contracts can be overridden if the liable act is egregious enough. But costing you time fighting with licensing is not likely to meet that standard.

("WEAPONARY"?? - weaponry, I suppose)

ARM's total liability and your exclusive remedy for breach of these limited warranties shall be limited to ARM, at ARM's option: (a) refunding the price paid by you for the Software; or (b) replacing the defective Software; or (c) using reasonable efforts to correct material, documented, reproducible defects in the Software and delivering such corrected Software to you. Any replacement Software will be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period or thirty (30) days, whichever is longer.

EXCEPT AS MAY BE PROVIDED ABOVE, YOU AGREE THAT THE SOFTWARE IS

REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS OR OTHER TERMS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT, SATISFACTORY QUALITY, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

YOU EXPRESSLY ASSUME ALL LIABILITIES AND RISKS, FOR USE OR OPERATION OF SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS DESIGNED OR INTENDED FOR MISSION CRITICAL APPLICATIONS, SUCH AS PACEMAKERS, WEAPONARY, AIRCRAFT NAVIGATION, FACTORY CONTROL SYSTEMS, ETC. SHOULD THE SOFTWARE PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.

--sp

Irrelevant (mostly). Liability law won't be overridden if the limits are clearly expressed in the contract and there is no fraud. On the other side, you'd have to prove actual damages. It's going to be pretty tough to do, over the cost of the software. That's reality.