"Trop c'est trop" - No Client-Server for XE3 PRO users

Here is some unbelievable news retrieved from "Te Waka o Delphi" blog:

From XE3 onwards, your Delphi Professional EULA will prohibit you from using Delphi Professional for anything other than local data access.
If you want to build client/server database applications using Delphi Professional, you will be required to purchase a “Client/Server Add-On” pack.

This goes beyond the fact that you do not get (or can otherwise use or install) client/server drivers for the DBExpress or other “built in” data access frameworks, but extends even to 3rd party data access technologies.
That is, whatever you may be able to do or achieve – technically – using some 3rd party component or library with you Delphi Professional compiler, you cannot legally create a client/server application.
Never mind any 3rd party components or libraries, this same prohibition will apply even if you are using naked, unadorned Microsoft ADO.

Damn show-stopper for me.
Embarcadero is killing Delphi.

Our very own mORMot Open-Source framework is fully Client-Server oriented, and allow creating scalable Client-Server applications even with an Oracle DB system back-end, even with XE2 starter edition (direct access, without any DB.pas / DBExpress layer).

I can not believe this is not an abusive licensing clause.
Forbid someone to use a product for its own use was always hard to figure, but in this case it sounds infamous.
Could make sense to say that if you make more than 1,000 $ with their product, you will have to buy a Pro license, and that a Starter is not enough.
But imagine you want to create a Client-Server application for non-profit target (like a home app). You won’t be allowed to do it unless you buy an Entreprise version.
In the 21th century, pretty everything is connected, i.e. Client-Server. Even a browser start to behave like a server (via websocks and such).
Pretty abusive clause.
Delphi killer.

Damn show-stopper for me.

And now, you’ll have to pay for a lot of stuff you really don’t need nor use.

This leads us to a clear switch to FreePascalCompiler or good old Delphi 7/2007 for the server part, and something like SmartMobileStudio for the client GUI part (rich AJAX apps work on Win&Mac Desktop, iPhone, Android, and even Metro). Our framework is fully Unicode even before Delphi 2009, so we won’t need the overweight of Delphi 2009+.
‘Trop c’est trop’ as we say in France.

I hope this was just an attempt from Embarcadero, and they won't officialize this statement.
Delphi users have to react and share their indignation.
There are other nice products around, so it would be pretty easy to switch.
And BTW, we do not want to pay for something we do not want! Product bundling can pass for a few components, or IDE features, but if you just want to have the RTL and basic VCL (as for mORMot), this is abusive to buy an Entreprise license (XE2 upgrade for Pro was €499, and upgrade to Entreprise €1299). I can't pay €800 extra just for the right of using something I develop and debugged myself, sharing it as OpenSource! If a Starter edition at €149 is enough to run mORMot apps, why should I pay for ten times more?
Perhaps Embacardero is facing the issue that some Open Source stuff like mORMot is better and more complete that their DataSnap / DBExpress layers. But I do not believe so. They just want to make more money on our back.

Feedback and upcoming news are welcome on our forum.

Synopse Open Source

"Trop c'est trop" - No Client-Server for XE3 PRO users