Microsoft to GPL its source code
We have recently chosen to open up our source because it makes good business sense for us at this time. Here are some of the reasons:
The availability of the source code and the right to modify it is very important. It enables us to tap into the unlimited programming resources available to tune and improve our software products.
The right to redistribute modifications and improvements to the code, and to reuse other open source code, permits all the advantages due to the modifiability of the software to be shared by large communities, communities we learned that we need to embrace, under certain conditions.
The point that differentiates open source software licences from our past licenses is modifiability. In substance, the fact that redistribution rights cannot be revoked, and that they are universal, is what attracts a substantial crowd of developers to work around open source software projects, and we welcome them.
We have decided that we would like help to improve the quality of our products, and to improve their functionality. Which, once more, will cause more and more users give the product a try, and probably to use it regularly.
Now this is only a temporary GPL. We have slightly modified our licenses to open the source for a limited time period. One the time period expires, all rights to the code, as well as deriviatives, revert back to Microsoft.
William Gates
_________________________________________________________________
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This would have been more entertaining had you at least hacked the headers to make it look like it came from a @microsoft.com email address. :-)
Quoted 43 lines · William Gates
We have recently chosen to open up our source because it makes good business sense for us at this time. Here are some of the reasons:
The availability of the source code and the right to modify it is very important. It enables us to tap into the unlimited programming resources available to tune and improve our software products.
The right to redistribute modifications and improvements to the code, and to reuse other open source code, permits all the advantages due to the modifiability of the software to be shared by large communities, communities we learned that we need to embrace, under certain conditions.
The point that differentiates open source software licences from our past licenses is modifiability. In substance, the fact that redistribution rights cannot be revoked, and that they are universal, is what attracts a substantial crowd of developers to work around open source software projects, and we welcome them.
We have decided that we would like help to improve the quality of our products, and to improve their functionality. Which, once more, will cause more and more users give the product a try, and probably to use it regularly.
Now this is only a temporary GPL. We have slightly modified our licenses to open the source for a limited time period. One the time period expires, all rights to the code, as well as deriviatives, revert back to Microsoft.
William Gates
_________________________________________________________________
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