Re: [chat] The latest Microsoft attack

[Matthew Palmer <mjp16@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 4 Jul 2001, Andre Pang wrote:

> > In what has become somewhat of a habit, Microsoft's latest attack on the
> > world of Open Source.  Now we have to choose between running Linux or
> > running Windows.  It might scare some, but I know which side of the fence
> > I'm going to eat my grass from.
> > 
> > http://dailynews.yahoo.com/htx/zd/20010702/tc/ms_attacks_open_source_1.html
> > 
> > Highlights:
> > 
> > Thou shalt not use this software with the GPL or any other 'potentially
> > viral' licences (like Perl).
> 
> hmm.  i'm running Excel under win4lin under Linux at the moment.  i
> haven't read the article at all, but i wonder whether Microsoft would
> constitute this as illegal under their licensing.

Well, the licencing is currently only for two new products they're coming
out with, but I'd say that if it doesn't get swatted now, it'll be in the
licences for the next versions of all MS products.  Once it's in there
(something along the lines of 'thou shalt not run this product on any OS
which is licenced under the GPL or <these> licences', then it's quite
defensible (under DMCA-type arguments, the same thing that allows MS to
backdoor their software and stop it working for no reason) to put an
'authorisation function', whose operation is closely guarded and which, if
the right response isn't forthcoming, the application refuses to work.

I'd hang onto the CDs for the current version of your MS apps if I were you.

> the situation is more scary for WINE, actually ...

About the same.  It's sayonara for them all if MS goes through with this.

Imagine the next step - pressuring (one way or another) companies to not
produce both Windows and Linux versions of things.  Which way is a software
company likely to go?  Which is the bigger market?

Basically, each time MS comes out with one of these, I pray harder that
something large and explosive lands in the middle of Redmond, WA.  They are
such arrogant wankers that I'd love it if someone capped Gates & Co.


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Matthew Palmer
mjp16@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx