In answer to the initial criticisms about their new licenses, Six Apart has announced the following changes :
- There are now no limits on the number of weblogs you can create with a paid license of Movable Type. The free license remains limited.
- All paid options include support directly from us, through our online ticket system.
- Our licenses are perpetual, meaning there are no annual subscription fees. Larger commercial licenses require a 20% maintenance fee after the first year if continued support is desired.
- Paid licenses will include free updates and bug fixes. For example: 3.x release are free to any 3.x licensee. Paid licenses are also eligible for discounts on major upgrades to the software, so 3.x paid licensees will receive a discount on 4.x versions of Movable Type.
- All of the pricing mentioned below is the standard price, so the numbers published on our site are no longer introductory pricing.
- In the next couple of months we are planning a general release of Movable Type 3.x with compelling new features, which will be a free update for Developer Edition users.
Check out the full announcement about MT3.0 licenses for more details.
They have made impressive concessions and showed that they are not only willing to listen to their customers, but they are also acting based on their suggestions. They should be commended for that.