MS "bans" GPL

[David LeBlanc]

In article <slrn9k3ji4.49l.gerhard.nospam at lilith.hqd-internal>, 
gerhard.nospam at bigfoot.de says...
<snip>

> You don't try to spread FUD, do you? No matter what MS or any other company
> writes into their "license agreements", not everything is compatible with
> German or US or whatever laws.
> 
> Gerhard
> 

I'm gratified to know that you are aware enough to know that, and that 
further you can afford to take Microsoft to court if needs be. The parts 
about MS excluding open source software from running on their os's and 
the part about XP being evil where and are my supposition and opinion 
respectively. The part about the UK is 100% as reported by 
http://www.theregister.co.uk. Microsoft, like other companies and even 
governments, either counts on people's ignorance or inability to contest 
their behavior (governments are somewhat easier to correct - IF YOU HAVE 
THE MONEY). BTW, the people who make the Opera browser ARE taking the UK 
government to court over trade restraint.

Fact: Over the last several revisions of selected OS's Microsoft has 
either been restricting what they can be used for in licenses or 
releasing the software with restrictions built-in that limit what can be 
done with that software. Microsoft announced during the beta of Windows 
NT that they where going to limit the number of concurrent tcp/ip sockets 
open to outside (i.e over the web) at any one time. After much public 
outcry, they "relented" and simply put it in the NT workstation EULA. In 
Windows 2000 Pro, they just built it into the OS (see IIS concurrent 
connections option in the MMC). You might also recall the hue and cry 
when some magazines published information about how to bypass some 
registry settings that allowed NT Workstation to operate as NT Server.

Fact: It has been fairly widely reported that Microsoft will initiate 
their annual subscription based costing model when Windows XP starts 
shipping. Rather then pay for an upgrade when you want it, you'll pay it 
annually or the software will stop working. There's also been user beta  
testing of a per use pricing scheme in (at least) the UK for MS Office.

Opinion: It would not be illegal for Microsoft to make it a condition of 
use that you not install open source software if you want to use their 
OS. It's not restraint of trade since technically, open software is not 
traded - there's no _overt_ exchange of value nor is there a "buyer" or a 
"seller" who could be harmed monetarily through such a restraint 
(besides, you have the freedom to choose another OS according to MS). 
Personally, I think XP is going to drive more people into the Linux camp 
(GOOD!). (NOTE: i'm not suggesting that there is no inherent value to 
open source software!)

When it comes to Microsoft, FUD is a good survival trait ihmo. I sure 
Fear their power, am (NOT) Uncertain of their integrity and (have no) 
Doubt (of) their motives. $US 55+ billion per year isn't enough I guess. 
(That's based on a single quarter's gross of $13.4 billion I heard once.)

Dave LeBlanc