[SGVLUG] FYI - MS Heroes event in Anaheim 4/8 get MS sw w/o paying

[John E. Kreznar]

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Thanks Matti for extending this thread another round: Yet another
feather in your hat as an Open Source advocate!

matti <mathew_2000 at yahoo.com> writes:

> ... in this case the software MS is handing out imho is valuable.

If indeed there is something valuable trapped in there, a fitting open
source endeavor would be to try to pry it loose.  Even better though
would be to identify an even more valuable alternative and program it.

> I don't recall anything in the MS EULA preventing me from
> contributing to Open Source or using Open Source independently of MS
> code.

Yes.  The bits that the EULA forbids the licensee to enter into a
computer are not Open Source bits, but those that are "too much like"
some that Microsoft supplies.  How much "like" is an exercise for the
reader.  Exact copies?  Anything that works the same?  Anything with
the same "look and feel"?  As far as I know, this issue is still not
fully settled in the courts, and Microsoft benefits because of the
chilling effect this ambiguity has on others.

- -- 
 John E. Kreznar jek at ininx.com 9F1148454619A5F08550 705961A47CC541AFEF13
  "[What open source is actually achieving is to reduce] the ability of
   proprietary companies to collect secrecy rent."  -- Eric S. Raymond

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