> salvage it by spinning it back out into a separate business. That's assuming a newly spun-out neo-Trolltech could be profitable again using the same business

> salvage it by spinning it back out into a separate business. That's assuming a newly spun-out neo-Trolltech could be profitable again using the same business model as before, which isn't the case. Trolltech's business model was to sell Qt licenses to folks making closed-source software with it, who couldn't or wouldn't deal with the GPL-and-similar licensing of the open source version. This business model mostly died with the move to LGPL: There hardly any money left to be made selling Qt licenses now. That leaves Qt-related consulting/development work, which companies like KDAB, basysKom, FrogLogic and others are doing.