Microsoft foes lukewarm on Windows licensing

The European Union ruled on Wednesday that Microsoft must make Windows Server protocols available for license, but competitors showed little initial interest in the program.

The European Court of First Instance said Microsoft must comply with penalties imposed in March by the European Commission, which determined that Microsoft used its monopoly in operating systems to manipulate the markets for media players and work group server operating systems. Microsoft is still appealing the case and will pursue a possible settlement.

Microsoft will have to release a version of Windows without the Windows media software and to make certain protocols of its Windows Server operating system available to competitors. The intent is to level the playing field for competitors in both markets.

The EU ruling will force Microsoft to disclose more technical information than it has in the past, specifically dealing with Windows Server, said Brad Smith, a senior vice president and general counsel at Microsoft. The company intends to create a Web site with the technical details, fees and terms for the new server protocols, Smith said.

"The Commission's decision also covers a new category of communications protocols," Smith told reporters Wednesday. "Under the Commission's decision, we are obligated to make those protocols available for license so that they can be implemented in competing server software."

In the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust case against Microsoft, the software giant was compelled to publish some Windows client protocols that allow desktop PCs to communicate with servers. About 20 companies, including Sun Microsystems and AOL, already participate in the existing licensing program, which is called Microsoft Communications Protocol Program.

The European Commission had ordered Microsoft to license protocols that deal with, among other tasks, sharing files stored on servers, sharing printers and authenticating a user's access to a network.

Some Microsoft competitors said they will investigate the new set of protocols, but any decision regarding licensing would require more time.

Novell, which owns its distribution of Linux and the NetWare operating systems, lauded the decision to enforce the ruling.

"Novell has been clear that we were very interested in seeing the remedy implemented, and we believe that it could be beneficial to players in the work group server market, including Novell," a company spokesman said.

Novell, however, did not choose

Duh

Who would want to willing pay through the nose for a shoddy server?

Who would be willing to pay through the nose for the most unsecure software around?

This is not news.

[David Arbogast]

HUH?!?

The answer to both your questions is likely to be "none."

However, since over 90% of the market is paying for Windows when free alternatives exist, your inferred anti-MS slam is somewhat watered-down.

Assuming nobody wants to license the technology, as you suggest, then the ruling is clearly pointless. Wouldn't you agree?