Brief
AI developer Thomas releases open‑source Adobe‑style apps funded by token sales
The new suite includes Filmcraft, a Premiere clone, and other tools, with revenue from token‑based access to the ArtCraft visual AI model.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Thomas, a developer with about a decade of Rust experience, announced a set of free, open‑source alternatives to Adobe software on Hacker News, citing repeated "cancellation fee" dark‑patterns as motivation.
The apps, released under MIT/Apache licenses, are funded by selling tokens that grant access to the existing ArtCraft visual‑AI model and IDE, which will run alongside third‑party models inside the new programs.
Filmcraft, the flagship app, mirrors Adobe Premiere’s look and feel. Thomas says the revenue model will keep the project from becoming an "orphaned small‑team project" and notes his team already builds popular software for filmmakers.
While reverse‑engineering software is generally legal, Thomas acknowledges the risk that the apps could face legal challenges if their "trade dress" too closely imitates Adobe’s interface.
Key facts
- Thomas announced open‑source Adobe‑style apps under MIT/Apache licenses. (arstechnica.com)
- Funding comes from token‑based access to the ArtCraft visual AI model. (arstechnica.com)
- Filmcraft, a Premiere clone, closely mimics Adobe's interface. (arstechnica.com)
- Thomas warns the apps could face legal trouble over trade‑dress similarity. (arstechnica.com)
Sources
- [1] arstechnica.com — originally reported as ““Software is over”: Bold AI developer takes aim at Adobe with open source clones”
