Microsoft Changes Licensing Conditions Following EU Verdict
In the light of a ruling by the European Commission, Microsoft has now published revised license terms for interoperability.
The EU decision forces Microsoft to give competitors access to program code, besides confirming a million dollar fine. As a reaction to this, the new rules titled "Microsoft Work Group Server Protocol Program License Agreements for Development and Product Distribution" (WSPP Development Agreements) have now been published on the corporate website. What Microsoft means by WSPP is the development of server or desktop software for collaboration with Microsoft products. In the introduction to the lengthy announcement, Microsoft explains which claims contractual partners can make under WSPP licenses. The licenses will include the documentation required to implement the protocols, combined with "intellectual property" agreements. At the same time, contractual partners are entitled to free technical support in case of questions on the documentation, they are permitted to review the Windows Server code, and will receive "protocol syntax analysis software" as a support tool.
Under a heading of "Microsoft's Patent Pledge for Open Source Projects" irrevocably promises to free software developers not to assert any legal claims for the use of the covered implementations. Microsoft then goes on to restrict the scope of this promise, saying that this relates to "source code which is freely distributed, modified or copied pursuant to an open source license, and is not commercially distributed by its participants". Because many Open Source licenses explicity permit commercial exploitation of free software, Microsoft thought a more granular explanation was necessary and refers to income from software licenses, update contracts and other fees that users pay for the source code.
The Samba project could be one of the first customers for the new Microsoft license. Samba as developer Volker Lendecke told Linux Magazine. Samba is a free software that makes the Server Message Block Protocol (SMB) available to Linux and Unix systems, and can thus provide Windows server functionality. Right now, the Samba team is working on software to improve interoperability between Samba Windows servers, and Microsoft's Active Directory.
Based on an appraisal by the legal experts at Groklaw, the document that is relevant for Samba is a paper (PDF) titled "No Patents". This license agreement for the Workgroup Server includes all 44 pages. According to Volker Lendecke a team led by Eben Moglen from the Software Freedom Law Center is currently working on the papers, and seeks to advise the free project on whether acquiring the license makes sense.
Issue 244/2021
Buy this issue as a PDF
News
-
Another New Linux Laptop has Arrived
Slimbook has released a monster of a Linux gaming laptop.
-
Mozilla VPN Now Available for Linux
The promised subscription-based VPN service from Mozilla is now available for the Linux platform.
-
Wayland and New App Menu Coming to KDE
The 2021 roadmap for the KDE desktop environment includes some exciting features and improvements.
-
Deepin 20.1 has Arrived
Debian-based Deepin 20.1 has been released with some interesting new features.
-
CloudLinux Commits Over 1 Million Dollars to CentOS Replacement
An open source, drop-in replacement for CentOS is on its way.
-
Linux Mint 20.1 Beta has Been Released
The first beta of Linux Mint, Ulyssa, is now available for downloading.
-
Manjaro Linux 20.2 has Been Unleashed
The latest iteration of Manjaro Linux has been released with a few interesting new features.
-
Patreon Project Looks to Bring Linux to Apple Silicon
Developer Hector Martin has created a patreon page to fund his work on developing a port of Linux for Apple Silicon Macs.
-
A New Chrome OS-Like Ubuntu Remix is Now Available
Ubuntu Web looks to be your Chrome OS alternative.
-
System76 Refreshes the Galago Pro Laptop
Linux hardware maker has revamped one of their most popular laptops.