Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] .NET on the Mac and BSD

[Mikhail Kovalenko <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Mike Miller wrote:
> On Wed, 13 Nov 2002, Mikhail Kovalenko wrote:
> 
> 
>>Also from the license:
>>
>>"You may use any information in intangible form that you remember after
>>accessing the Software. However, this right does not grant you a license
>>to any of Microsoft's copyrights or patents for anything you might
>>create using such information."
>>
>>This sounds like this license prohibits you from using "the Software" to
>>create products that interoperate with or outright replace Microsoft's
>>products, because you *might* be infringing on their numerous patents.
>>Also, it looks like once you've seen their code and then create your
>>own, Microsoft can force you to release your work under their license
>>because you may have subconsciously copied their code in your work. You
>>don't even have to copy it verbatim; coding "from memory" still counts
>>under this license.
> 
> 
> 
> Isn't this how it always works?  We aren't allowed, for example, to read
> MATLAB .m function files and use what we learn there to write functions
> for Octave (GNU version of MATLAB).  If you want to write a competing
> product, you shouldn't read their code at all.  Microsoft is allowing us
> to read their code, remember it, use what we've remembered, but we can't
> then copyright what we've written from our memories.  I think that's fine.
> 
> I have no idea if a corporation can force you to reveal your code to them
> because they think you've cheated by using some of their code.  But, if
> you stick to writing only open-source freeware, you'll never violate their
> agreement and you'll never have a problem.  You are then allowed to use
> their code however you'd like.
> 
> Mike

You're right, it is the way things usually work in the commercial software 
world. But in the context of this mailing list, we look at things from a 
different perspective. If you write GPL code and release it into the wild, you 
have no idea where it is going to end up or how it will eventually be used. 
Once you have seen Microsoft's code, even if you create unrelated software and 
release it under GPL, Microsoft can claim at any time that you infringed on 
their license. Of course, they will have to prove that but hey, there are only 
so many ways to implement any particular algorithm.

Anyhow, upon reading "The Shared Source CLI 1.0 Release" I at first though 
that Microsoft has released a shared source command-line interface. Oh horrors! :)

-- 
MK

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