Creating ProMatrix Add-On Products

Since the beginning of ProMatrix, we have encouraged ProMatrix users to create ProMatrix “add-on” products that enhance the use of our ProMatrix application generators and development frameworks. When a ProMatrix user creates an add-on product that we “approve”, we will promote, market and distribute the product to other ProMatrix users. We will sometimes authorize the user to use our trademarks to denote his add-on product. Those are all significant benefits to a developer who creates an approved ProMatrix add-on product.

At this point, only two user have created ProMatrix add-on products that we are still selling. That is not surprising since the purpose of ProMatrix is not to create ProMatrix add-on products, but to create ProMatrix database applications. However, we are aware that there are several users who are considering creating ProMatrix add-on products. Therefore, we felt it was appropriate for us to communicate at this time how a ProMatrix user should go about getting a product that he is creating or thinking about creating to be an approved ProMatrix add-on product.

Important: Do not begin creating a ProMatrix add-on product without getting approval. It is almost certain that your add-on product will violate ProMatrix copyrights, trademarks and the ProMatrix Software License Agreement. If you complete or do substantial work on a ProMatrix add-on product, your work will be for naught if we do not approve it. We have had to demand that  developers who created add-on tools that we did not approve cease and desist from further development or marketing of the product.

ProMatrix Copyrights and Software License Agreement

The purpose of the ProMatrix application generators and development frameworks is to allow ProMatrix users to create database applications, and our documentation and license agreements are carefully crafted to make it clear that ProMatrix is to be used to create database applications. It is not the purpose of ProMatrix to allow developers to create derivative works or competing products that are themselves application generators, application development frameworks or tools for application development. Our license agreement is carefully crafted to make it clear that such uses of ProMatrix are prohibited. Further, intellectual property laws make it illegal for someone to use a ProMatrix application generator, development framework or any part thereof in the creation of a derivative work.

Briefly, when a software developer becomes a ProMatrix user, the ProMatrix Corporation license agreement grants that developer the right to create database applications and to distribute them to its customers without source code. According to the ProMatrix license agreement, a ProMatrix user does not have the right to use ProMatrix or any of the technologies in ProMatrix in the following ways:

1. The developer cannot provide copies of ProMatrix to anyone.
2. The developer cannot copy or distribute the ProMatrix source code included in applications to anyone without compensating the ProMatrix Corporation.
3. The developer may not use ProMatrix technologies to create derivative works.
4. The developer may not create products that compete with ProMatrix using the ProMatrix technologies.

Obviously, creating a development tool that uses ProMatrix technologies would be prohibited because it would violate restrictions 3. and 4. above and could possibly violate restriction 2. It would also violate intellectual property rights laws.

Based on our license agreements and intellectual property laws, we can prevent other developers from creating application development tools that use ProMatrix technologies in any way.

One of the most fundamental ProMatrix technologies is the ProMatrix Data Dictionary structure and all of the functionality that ProMatrix provides from the ProMatrix Data Dictionary structure. Accordingly, any development tool that uses the ProMatrix Data Dictionary structure and related functionality would be an infringement of our intellectual property rights and copyrights. The ProMatrix Data Dictionary structure and functionality are not part of the public domain. The ProMatrix Data Dictionary is technology owned by the ProMatrix Corporation that can only be used in ways permitted by the ProMatrix Corporation.

Add-on products are development tools. Every add-on tool that has ever been proposed to us has been based almost completely on the ProMatrix Data Dictionary structure and related functionality. No one has a right to create a development tool that utilizes the ProMatrix Data Dictionary and related functionality. To do so would infringe on the ProMatrix Corporation’s copyrights and intellectual property rights.

The proprietary ProMatrix Data Dictionary is at the very core of ProMatrix. The ProMatrix Data Dictionary is one of the things that makes ProMatrix truly unique. There is no other data dictionary like the ProMatrix Data Dictionary in the Visual FoxPro world. We have spent years designing and developing the ProMatrix Data Dictionary.

The ProMatrix license agreement does not permit the creation of derivative works from the ProMatrix technologies. Intellectual property rights law does not permit others to use ProMatrix technologies in ways that are not intended. We specifically do not intend or permit ProMatrix users or non-users to create derivative works from those technologies or products from those technologies that compete with ProMatrix in any way. ProMatrix is an application generator and development framework. Obviously then, any person who created an application generator and development framework that used ProMatrix technologies would be infringing on our intellectual property rights. One of the most fundamental ProMatrix technologies is the ProMatrix Data Dictionary structure and all of the functionality that ProMatrix provides from the ProMatrix Data Dictionary structure. Accordingly, any application generator and development framework that used the ProMatrix Data Dictionary structure would be an infringement of our intellectual property. The ProMatrix Data Dictionary structure and functionality is not part of the public domain. The ProMatrix Data Dictionary is technology owned by the ProMatrix Corporation that can only be used in ways permitted by the ProMatrix Corporation.

If a developer were to create an application development tool based on ProMatrix technologies, it doesn’t matter what technology is used to create interfaces in the toolr. The development tool would violate the ProMatrix intellectual property rights. The application interface could be created using Visual Basic, VB.NET, VFP or PHP. What is significant is that the development tool must not utilize the ProMatrix Data Dictionary or any other part of ProMatrix technology. If we were to allow others to build a development framework based on the ProMatrix Data Dictionary, the mind boggles at where that would lead. Almost without question such a developer would quickly see the “need” for their own Data Builder interface to maintain the data in the ProMatrix Data Dictionary. That would be followed by the developer copying the functionality that ProMatrix provides based on the ProMatrix Data Dictionary. If the application generator and development framework used FoxPro code, it is almost certain the ProMatrix code would be lifted from the ProMatrix classes, programs and forms and find its way into the developers application generator and development framework. If a programming language other than FoxPro were used for the application generator and development framework, the functionality in the ProMatrix classes, programs and forms would be copied.

Creating an application generator and development framework that uses ProMatrix technologies is one of the most serious infringements on our intellectual property rights that we can envision. Therefore, when we discover that a developer is creating an application generator and development framework that uses ProMatrix technologies, we must do everything the law provides to stop it or we risk losing ownership of those technologies.

We hope, of course, that when we inform a developer that they are infringing on our intellectual property rights, the developer will voluntarily cease the infringement. However, if the developer does not cease the infringement, then we have no choice but to use every legal means to stop the infringement. That does not make us the “bad guys”. In fact, it would be a sorry state of affairs in the software development world if software developers were unfairly castigated for enforcing the rights they have to the intellectual property that they create and own.

How Does a ProMatrix Add-On Product Get Approved?

It’s difficult to envision a ProMatrix add-on product that does not infringe on our intellectual property rights. In fact, the two ProMatrix add-on products that we have approved do infringe on our intellectual property rights, but we have granted permission to the developers of those products to produce them.

So, what kinds of ProMatrix add-on products will we approve? Here are some of the criteria that we consider:

• The add-on product does not compete with an existing ProMatrix product or a ProMatrix product that we are planning to develop.
• The add-on product enhances the use of a ProMatrix product.
• The add-on product would have no meaning or use to a developer if the developer did not also have a license for the ProMatrix product that the add-on product enhances.
• The add-on product does not use ProMatrix technologies outside of ProMatrix or a ProMatrix application.
• We believe there might be a significant market for the add-on product.

Regardless of the criteria listed above, the decision to approve a ProMatrix add-on product is entirely ours and just because an add-on product does or does not meet the criteria listed above, doesn’t mean that we will or will not approve the add-on product. The criteria are merely guidelines to help you determine whether your idea would likely be approved.

The add-on products that we have approved do not compete with ProMatrix products. They are not a replacement for any of the ProMatrix technologies, and they have our permission to interface with ProMatrix technologies. The add-on products do not eliminate the need for ProMatrix. Rather, they enhance the desirability of ProMatrix.

We encourage add-on products like xCase2VPM and VisualRep, but if you have an idea for an add-on product and want to make sure that your idea does not infringe on our license agreements or intellectual property rights, please contact us so that we can discuss the idea in advance.

Benefits of Creating a ProMatrix Add-On Product

If we approve your add-on product, we will:

• Promote your add-on products to ProMatrix users.

• Authorize the use of our trademarks to denote that the product is related to ProMatrix.

• Handle sales processing.

• Distribute the product to buyers.