Comments on: Microsoft offers up source code in EC dispute

To avoid EU regulatory fines of up to $2.45 million per day, Microsoft offers to license some of its Windows source code to rivals.

[waltsjc]

Not much REAL change.

The license requirement still shuts out MS's biggest and most viable competitor, and they KNOW it. This is not a real concession.

Let's just see if the EU has the fortitude to stand up for what's right and does something that truely restores competition to the marketplace.

[Curtiss W]

Apple

That would be great! Maybe next they can get Apple to open up.

[VI Joker]

Fat chance.

If the EU or the DoJ has not started to hand out fines by now they never will. MS is just playing them like a well tuned piano. Both the DoJ and EU are just following the tune cause they have nothing better to do.

[AbuLafya]

license will shun open-source

In this way, only companies and will be able to compete with proprietary software. MS tries to close gate on Open-source.

[Captain_Spock]

"Microsoft...

... on Wednesday offered to license some of its Windows Server source code to rivals, as it seeks to avoid a potential fine of up to $2.45 million a day imposed by European antitrust regulators"; does this move includes "Source-Codes" for the IBM's OS/2 Warp Operating Systems that is apparentely preventing IBM from moving OS/2 Warp into the Open-Source Community... a move that Microsoft may be finding very scary!

[Captain_Spock]

"Microsoft"... (Additionally;

... IBM having previously contributed the Scripting Language to the Rexx Language Association in order to encourage "Innovation Around REXX (on which OS/2 is based) Application Development"; see link:

http://rexxla.org/Newsletter/oorexx-pr.html

[Johnny Mnemonic]

Let me get this straight...

"The EU Commission orders Microsoft to hand over
clear documentation. They hand over documentation,
but it's incomprehensible, so no one can follow it.
The EU Commission threatens to fine Microsoft $2.4
million every day until it complies, so instead of
complying, Microsoft throws some code on the table
and says, figure it out yourself. No documentation.
For a fee. Have I got that right?"

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20060125103545406

[X-C3PO]

EC: give me code or to die! (sounds like this)

Open-source just a myth!
However, it's a great news for those lazy competitors.