Microsoft pledges not to sue over open source

Microsoft's top executives are set to announce a broad interoperability strategy that includes an agreement not to sue open-source developers for products that connect to Microsoft software, a source familiar with the company's plans told CNET News.com.

The software maker had already taken baby steps in this direction, signing individual pacts with companies like Novell and Turbolinux, as well as agreeing not to sue individual developers.

The company has scheduled a conference call at 8:30 a.m. PST on Thursday to discuss the news. Among the executives on the call are CEO Steve Ballmer, Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie, server and tools head Bob Muglia, and General Counsel Brad Smith.

Ray Ozzie (left) and Steve Ballmer.

(Credit: Microsoft)

Update: Microsoft issued its press release with more details.

Microsoft on Thursday announced changes in its business practices to work better with software from other providers, including open-source communities.

It laid out four principles aimed at making its high-volume enterprise software support standards and better handling data from non-Microsoft software.

Specifically, Microsoft said it will publish the documentation for the application programming interfaces and communications protocols in its "high-volume products." Developers do not need to buy a license or pay a royalty to access the information.

As a first step, Microsoft will publish protocols for communicating with Windows Server, which had previously only been available under a trade secret license. Protocols for interoperability with Office 2007 will be published in the coming months, the company said.

Microsoft said the pledge will ultimately extend to Windows Vista, the .NET Framework, Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, Office 2007, Exchange Server 2007, and Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Microsoft said that it will not sue open-source developers who create non-commercial software based on Microsoft's protocols.

The company also said that it will provide new application programming interfaces to developers so that Office 2007 can better work with document formats. The company does not natively support the alternative Open Document Format, or ODF, standard in Office 2007.

Although it does not mention ODF specifically in its release, Microsoft also launched a Document Interoperability Initiative to "address data exchange between widely deployed formats."

Microsoft said the Open Source Interoperability Initiative will foster a better working relationship with open-source projects, and will provide technical assistance, such as interoperability testing.

Through a previously created Interoperability Executive Customer (IEC) Council, Microsoft will seek to create a better "(dialogue) and outreach" with partners, customers, and developers on the subject of interoperability.

In a statement, Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith said these steps are part of the company's efforts to comply with antitrust obligations laid out by the European Court of First Instance (CFI).

"As we said immediately after the CFI decision last September, Microsoft is committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure we are in full compliance with European law," Smith said.

CNET News.com's Martin LaMonica contributed to this report.

[thedreaming]

This just in...

Microsoft, in their attempt to spread more FUD regarding the use of linux, scheduled a conference today where they will give us permission to continue to use open source software without the fear of being sued.<br /><br />On other news, pigs fly and hell freezes over....

[cmwendy]

Wow - good stuff

If it's that or more information for industry developers, then that's good stuff.

[Computersleuth2]

Notice that Microsoft said . . .

"Microsoft said that it will not sue open-source developers who create NON-COMMERCIAL software based on Microsoft's protocols..."

[ucphenom82]

You forgot the word "directly"

They don't need to sue directly. Anyone hear about a Middle Eastern firm "investing" $100M into SCO, which was headed for bankruptcy? Hmmm, why would they do that? Could it be that the head of the firm is a buddy of Bill Gates? <br /><br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080214125705140" target="_newWindow">http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080214125705140</a><br /><br />"Gates and Alwaleed have collaborated for at least two years. After attending a dinner at Gates's home in Bellevue, Washington, in early 2004, Alwaleed agreed to explore ways to assist Microsoft's expansion in Saudi Arabia."<br /><br />This is only the latest of MSFT's indirect attacks against open source. Anyone remember the patent troll IP Innovation LLC suing Red Hat and Novell? IP Innovation LLC is a subsidiary of Acacia. And 10 days (TEN!) after this: "Acacia Technologies Names Brad Brunell, Former Microsoft General Manager, Intellectual Property Licensing, to Management Team."<br /><br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20071011205044141" target="_newWindow">http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20071011205044141</a><br /><br /><br />So Microsoft is pledging not to sue over open source? How thoughtful of them.

[`WarpKat]

...and in other news...

The United SnowMan Militia has overrun the minion <br />of Satan and are now threatening everlasting <br />winter in the 9th Plane of Hell.<br /><br />More to come as this breaking story develops.

[Commander_Spock]

Told You So Days Ago....

... that a "Microsoft API Tsunami Wave" was coming. <br /><br />"Specifically, Microsoft said it will publish the documentation for the application programming interfaces and communications protocols in its "high-volume products." Developers do not need to buy a license or pay a royalty to access the information.<br /><br />As a first step, Microsoft will publish protocols for communicating with Windows Server, which had previously only been available under a trade secret license. Protocols for interoperating with Office 2007 will be published in the coming months, the company said.<br /><br />Microsoft said the pledge will ultimately extend to Windows Vista, the .NET Framework, Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, Office 2007, Exchange Server 2007, and Office SharePoint Server 2007.<br /><br />Microsoft said that it will not sue open-source developers who create non-commercial software based on Microsoft's protocols..."<br /><br />Go back and read the Commander's Logs where "Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)" was mentioned (do some research) then read the article again to understand who will survive the "Microsoft API Tsunami Wave" and which "shores" it will hit - No more "EU Commission" interruptions you say!

[scottnet91]

If forced, they can be nice too... not

Microsoft does not even know when they trample or **** off others anymore. All they are capable of is trying, and failing, to buy talent, trying to meet the minimum requirements of court orders, and trying to avoid having to talk about their recent string of blunders. I spent 20 years promoting this company's products. What a waste. I highly recomend adoption of viable alternatives via the open source community namely (Ubuntu, Open Office, and the like). Not because I hate MS, but Microsoft is dying and your business needs to survive their implosion.

[Jim Harmon]

All companies come and go.

You may be right that Microsoft's best days are behind them. However, there's no need to rush to find a replacement. The programs you're currently using will continue to work exactly the way they do today for as long as you want them to.

[WJeansonne]

The Key to Free Use is "Non-commercial"

Purveyors of commercial open source software will have to pay up, I presume.

[The_Decider]

Too bad

There isn't more then a handful of MS specific protocols worth using.

[hpf]

Valuable pledge

A valuable pledge from MS- I would say that if you bring this pledge, and $2.50, to a Starbucks, you could get a small coffee.<br /> Seriously, an MS pledge has no value.<br /><br />MS's level of honesty documented in the link below.<br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.albion.com/microsoft/findings.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.albion.com/microsoft/findings.html</a>

[samhiser]

correct-a-mundo

"Non-commercial use" ... I mean they'll need to do better.<br /><br />A developer of Free Software has no control over whether her work is used for commercial or non-commercial purposes downstream.<br /><br />This is -- <em>prima facie</em> -- ridiculous!

[Jon N.]

It just feels good...

We in the know, knew that the threat of "I'm gonna sue you" was all FUD. Now M$ wants to play nice. Hummmmmmmmmm! could it be the end of the proprietary M$ monopoly? Could we actually be seeing the beginning of the end of the big stick tactics that M$ were so used to using? I think so. I switched to Ubuntu on 1/4/08, and though downloading music from the internet is problematic at best, everything else works like a charm for me. Now to get the code for windows' iTunes opened up to Linux, and we all should be happy!

[cmwendy]

Develop your own iTunes...

...and then set it free. Junk.

[The_Decider]

Why would you want iTunes on Linux?

You can't access their store any other way?<br /><br />Amarok is miles ahead as a player and archiver.<br /><br />K3B is years ahead as a ripper and encoder.

[Linux Now]

Capitulation of the Blowhards

This seems a pretty fancy waltz by M$ to get itself out of the long-enduring and tedious "threats" to sue for patent infringements which these blowhards were never willing to detail because they were engaging in nothing more than another (failed) attempt to sow fear, uncertainty, and doubt.<br /><br />This latest "generous" offering of cooperation evidences only the final capitulation of a band of thugs who now realize they can no longer bully their way around the sandbox, and are thus facing up to the reality that their fake technology will likely be irrelevant with a decade.<br /><br />Hopefully nobody eagerly hauls this Trojan horse inside the city gates without carefully inspecting what lies within the belly of the beast.

[cmwendy]

Others should be wary

The real devil are the unelected bureaucrats who want to design our products because competitors choose not to compete. Sure, you hate MSoft now, but wait 'til the storm troops come knocking on your door...and they will.<br /><br /><br />Wait, I hear their clang now.<br /><br />Crying to the regulator only works so long - then you gotta' deliver. Maybe this offering will help those poor oligopolies with their dearth of innovative ideas.

[ColdMast]

First it's Embrace

then a free update to anyone of the listed craptacular Microsoft Products will sure break for example: code that lets Thunderbird talk nicely with exchange.<br /><br />Dear Microsoft can I still get a copy of Windows XP after June? yah know to play games... F**K it RTSs are coming to consoles now anyways.

[greg30307]

Actually, the real action is elsewhere...OOXML

This actually may be to draw attention to something extremely <br />valuable to Microsoft: having its proprietary Open Office XML <br />declared an international standard by the International <br />Organization for Standardization (ISO). Some governments have <br />mandated that documents for government use be written as an <br />international standard. ODF already is that. You can imagine the <br />threat to MS if governments start to mandate a different <br />standard than MS's. So they wrote a proprietary standard they <br />misleadingly call Open Office XML. Of course, proprietary <br />software code would not normally be considered as an <br />international standard. But MS has spent the last six months <br />literally buying the support of countries delegations to the <br />standards meeting next week. See Wall Street Journal story:<br /><br />Microsoft's Office Push &#8232;Scrutinized by EU<br />Regulators Are Looking <br />At How Firm Corralled <br />Support for the Software<br />By CHARLES FORELLE<br />February 8, 2008; Page B4<br />BRUSSELS -- European regulators are examining whether <br />Microsoft Corp. violated antitrust laws during a struggle last <br />year to ratify its Office software file format as an international <br />standard.<br />... (I do not want to post the entire story)<br />In the months and weeks leading up to the vote, Microsoft <br />resellers and other allies joined standards bodies en masse -- <br />helping swell the Italian group, for instance, from a half-dozen <br />members to 85. Opponents said Microsoft stacked committees. <br />People familiar with the matter say EU regulators are now <br />questioning whether Microsoft's actions were illegal. Microsoft <br />said at the time that any committee expansion had the effect of <br />making more voices heard...<br />---<br />THIS is the real ball-game. The second vote is next week. Those <br />of you who think MS's days are numbered, think again. They are <br />close to having bribed their code into ratification as an <br />international standard.<br /><br />Go to the website www.noooxml.org/start for more information.

[Commander_Spock]

Agreed 100%...

that a lot of this has to do with "OOXML" and was on the ball (predicted correctly or nearly so) about what the "contents of the conference" will be earlier today before the "real truth" was revealed to all. See this Commander_Spock's post here:<br /><br />"Told You So Days Ago...."<br /><br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.news.com/5208-13860_3-0.html?forumID=1&#38;threadID=35385&#38;messageID=380380&#38;start=-1" target="_newWindow">http://www.news.com/5208-13860_3-0.html?forumID=1&#38;threadID=35385&#38;messageID=380380&#38;start=-1</a>

[the_piano_man]

microsoft pledges not to sue - HA!

"The large print giveth and the fine print taketh away." "Promises are like pie crusts - made to be broken" - remember this as you and your lawyer ( if you are rich enough to afford one) sit in court. <br /><br />They pledge not to sue that which connects to THEIR PRODUCT - what about the other stuff? Well, now thats a horse of a different color. . . actually any "pledge" by ms is something about a horse - but not its color.

[corredorlobo]

MS vs the World

I think the world led by the EU need to go blow. Their litigations against MSFT is nothing more than bullying and protectionism. To go one step further( and unfortunenly I do not have the facts at hand) How many American companies are being slammed by the EC versus European????? Maybe the US needs to start tariffwars and legal wars with European firms to protect US businesses.MS developed their codes and therefore have an INTELLECTUAL RIGHT to said knowledge. They share but noone else does Adobe gves (livcenses acrobat to Apple for their OS text, MS shares WMP codecs with Real Player, etc and what do they get in return???? What is fair for 1 is fair for all? How does Apple monopolize EVERYTHING about their productss and M$FT cannot? Why can Adobe license (give) acrobat to others and not to MS? Never mind everyone seems to hate the one company that gave us computing for the masses

[the_piano_man]

corporations are not human, OK?

Corredorlobo; <br />I can understand why you might feel defensive about ms, most people know nothing else and don't have time to or don't want to learn anything else. If you are 25 years old or younger you likely have no recognition of life before ms.<br />It follows that you wrote:<br />"Their litigations against MSFT is nothing more than bullying and protectionism." - not quite so.<br />The US department of Justice was first to start legal proceedings against ms. The EU followed up after the US courts dropped the ball and let ms off the hook. Essentially, the EU is doing what the US court system did not have the political will to do. See the info here: <br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/news/2002/11/35212" target="_newWindow">http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/news/2002/11/35212</a><br />and here:<br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=18401563" target="_newWindow">http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=18401563</a><br /><br />Then you wrote: "MS developed their codes and therefore have an INTELLECTUAL RIGHT to said knowledge." Read your history. The two people who started ms did not write all their own original code, although they did lots of work. They used the open source model - they looked at code already written. Basic, for example (not written or developed by ms) was ported to the 8080 chip, was modified to work in their situation and then sold as "ms basic"(p.22,p.30, p.13, p.15). They (ms) also took credit for "writing" fortran (p35) Pascal, and Cobol - they did not they "ported" them. Another "acquired" work was CP/M, a complete operating system created by Gary Kildall(p.75,93). This was merged into Qdos (yet another "acquired" work which eventually became "ms dos" the foundation of ms dominance in the world and all their profits) created by Tim Patterson (p.75,93). Ms is a corporation "it" developed nothing, has no<br />intellect, soul, or ethical principles. Programmers who work at ms spend hours modifying code so it will work on their proprietary software. The people running the ms juggernaut have continued to use these tactics ever since, modifying code, then hiding it behind the corporate veil and selling it as their own using the legal system and devious methods to smash all competition. Read all about it here and refer to the page numbers mentioned above:<br />"The Making of Microsoft, Daniel Ichbiah, Susan Knepper. Prima Publishing. ISBN 1-55958-071-2. first publication 1989. This book was written based on interviews with ms execs.

[shadycat75]

Typical American Attitude

MS rips us all of and has made it hard for anyone to use their code, there is a new wave of Linux and other applications from the Open Source community backed by some big companies, Novell -Suse, IBM mysql and many more, M$ has realised there is a threat to its daft prices, Keep you ms code in the US for all i care, enjoy it, it gets hacked weekly, it doesnt work half the time..... Bring on the new era of Linux on the desktop.