Microsoft goes open?!

Microsoft promises to expand interoperability: the register, Microsoft’s PR site.

Don’t ask me, I’m still finding out what this is all about.

4 thoughts on “Microsoft goes open?!”

  1. As I wrote on the Reg (comment not yet published), it’s mostly spin.

    Note that they talk about “open source”, not “free software”. To me this is a suggestion that – as they have done in the past – they will draw a distinction between BSD-like and GPL-like licenses; this offer will apply only to stuff licensed under a BSD-like license, GPL will be specifically excluded.

    Also note that they are not making a very meaningful promise not to sue. They are actually explicitly retaining the right to sue any *commercial* operation for infringing any of their patents, which is all they would ever have done anyway. Everyone knows and has always known that if they sue anyone it will be a commercial operation (likely Red Hat), not a non-commercial one. No-one was honestly expecting them to sue Debian or SAMBA or something. There is no point in suing non-commercial operations; all it gets you is terrible publicity and a big lawyers’ bill. There’s no upside to it – no money, no reduction in competition.

    So a promise not to sue non-commercial operations is basically worthless, as they never had any reason to do so and no one ever thought they would.

  2. Quote from :

    Q: I am a developer/distributor/user of software that is licensed under the GPL, does the Open Specification Promise apply to me?

    A: Absolutely, yes. The OSP applies to developers, distributors, and users of Covered Implementations without regard to the development model that created such implementations, or the type of copyright licenses under which they are distributed, or the business model of distributors/implementers. The OSP provides the assurance that Microsoft will not assert its Necessary Claims against anyone who make, use, sell, offer for sale, import, or distribute any Covered Implementation under any type of development or distribution model, including the GPL. As stated in the OSP, the only time Microsoft can withdraw its promise against a specific person or company for a specific Covered Specification is if that person or company brings (or voluntarily participates in) a patent infringement lawsuit against Microsoft regarding Microsoft’s implementation of the same Covered Specification. This type of “suspension” clause is common industry practice.

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