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Monday, October 24, 2005

Microsoft revises its shared source licensing programs

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: DAVE KEARNS ON WINDOWS NETWORKING TIPS
10/24/05
Today's focus: Microsoft revises its shared source licensing
programs

Dear security.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* October is Microsoft license season
* Links related to Windows Networking Tips
* Featured reader resource
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Today's focus: Microsoft revises its shared source licensing
programs

By Dave Kearns

I just can't seem to get away from licensing issues in this
newsletter. Evidently, October really is "license season" in
Redmond. Microsoft last week released a revised set of licenses
that didn't get as much attention in the press as the
virtualization licensing issue we talked about last week
<http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/nt/2005/1017nt1.html?rl>
. This time, it was open-source licenses that Gates & Co. were
revising under the Shared Source Initiative ( SSI
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt9331> ) project.

The big surprise, the thing that should have made the front page
of at least the business section of the major newspapers was
that a number of opponents of proprietary software had nice
things to say about the move. Even Larry Lessig, founder of the
Center for Internet and Society (with whom I almost never agree,
see " Death of the Internet
<http://vquill.com/2003/05/death-of-internet.html> "), said it
was a good move because it reduced the number of licenses used
by the open-source community. Lessig believes the huge number of
different open-source licenses is the single-most important
problem in the world of free and open-source software, because
many are incompatible, leading to situations in which it's
impossible to use the software.

The new licenses were announced by Microsoft's voice of open
source, Jason Matusow (think of him as the "anti-Ballmer"; see "
Getting inside Microsoft
<http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/nt/2005/0411nt2.html?rl>
" for more about Matusow) at the recent European Open Source
Conference in Amsterdam. There are still three versions of the
license, but according to Matusow they've been simplified and
made easier to understand. His aim is to obviate the need of a
highly priced lawyer while making it easier for a developer to
know what is and isn't allowed under each license, which should
make it easier for Microsoft developers to share code.

The first of the three templates is the Permissive License -
Ms-PL. The only restrictions it places on what you do with the
code are that you mustn't use the Microsoft trademark, and that
the code must carry proper attribution.

Second is the Community License, Ms-CL, a reciprocal license
that is similar to the Mozilla public licensing model - if you
modify and distribute the code, you must give that file back to
the community.

The final template is the Reference License, Ms-RL, essentially
a "read-only" license to examine source code. This is especially
popular with government entities.

You can find more information on the three new licenses on the
Microsoft Shared Source Initiative Web site
<http://www.microsoft.com/sharedsource/>. Head to " Shared
Source Licensing Programs
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt9332> " and find links to the
dozens of different programs Microsoft offers based on these
licenses.

In conjunction with the three new license types, Microsoft also
announced that eight new Starter Kits for Visual Studio 2005
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt9333> and the next version of
the Windows CE Bluetooth Wrapper
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt9334> will be offered under
the new Ms-PL. This license will enable software developers to
have access to the Starter Kits and the Windows CE/Bluetooth
code, modify them, and build a business or community around them
without paying royalties to Microsoft.

Maybe the leopard can change its spots!

The top 5: Today's most-read stories

1. School traps infected PCs in its web
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt9373>
2. Cartoon of the Week <http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt9374>

3. Cisco bets a billion dollars on India
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt9335>
4. Cisco finally brings security push to LAN
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt9209>
5. WiMAX just around the corner
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt9213>

_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Dave Kearns

Dave Kearns is a writer and consultant in Silicon Valley. He's
written a number of books including the (sadly) now out of print
"Peter Norton's Complete Guide to Networks." His musings can be
found at Virtual Quill <http://www.vquill.com/>.

Kearns is the author of three Network World Newsletters: Windows
Networking Tips, Novell NetWare Tips, and Identity Management.
Comments about these newsletters should be sent to him at these

respective addresses: <mailto:windows@vquill.com>,
<mailto:netware@vquill.com>, <mailto:identity@vquill.com>.

Kearns provides content services to network vendors: books,
manuals, white papers, lectures and seminars, marketing,
technical marketing and support documents. Virtual Quill
provides "words to sell by..." Find out more by e-mail at
<mailto:info@vquill.com>
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Tacit Networks
Download this Network World Executive Guide: Storage Trends and
Strategies

From simplicity to complexity, Storage has taken on more
responsibility involving security and many other top demands.
Explore the hottest trends in Storage today written by the
editors of Network World for IT professionals, in the following
Executive Guide and examine extended case studies of users and
advice from storage specialists. Register now and get your free
copy of Network Word's Storage Executive Guide.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=117924
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