Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft FrontPage License Prohibits Anti-Microsoft Speech
According to this story running at Info World, the license from FrontPage 2002 contains a clause that says 'You may not use the Software in connection with any site that disparages Microsoft, MSN,
MSNBC, Expedia, or their products or services ...' An unfortunate clause that will prevent me from my long term plan of migrating Slashdot to Frontpage (cough). There's lots of other nastiness in this article too. Can anyone find that specific clause? Can anyone find the EULA itself? Update: 09/20 18:10 GMT by T : According to reader bteutsch "FWIW, the clause appears only in the EULA agreement for use of the FrontPage Logo, not with the product or server extensions license."
However it is my understanding of the law that you can create a contract that has a clause in it that breaks the law - (the US Constitution in this case - you know free speech and all) and it just blows the entire contract out of the water.
Seems like a stupid move on the part of Microsoft IMHO.
Most contracts have a severability clause in them that states that if any part of the contract is found to be invalid or illegal, it doesn't invalidate the rest of the contract.
Okay, so use FrontPage to create your page's layout, write all the words in the page that don't refer to M$, M$NBC, M$N such as "the", "tarball" or "grandmother", then complete your page with VI or EMACS, which are pieces of software released under a non-M$-centric license.
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
This does not relate to documents edited with Front Page. It say that you are not allowed to use server-side elements such as the MSN MoneyCentral stock ticker on your website, if you are publishing anti-MS comments.
rOD.
Rod Begbie done this, and he's not
So, show me where in the EULA this is stated. Are there multiple EULAs? Then which one takes precedence ("the last one? well, that wasn't the one I got when I bought it" concept)?
Damn it...THINK PEOPLE...investigate these things on your own and don't just knee-jerk a reaction because someone says something exists. Doesn't help perceptions much, especially if the liars/FUDers this time around are the open-source proponets....
2. FrontPage*
(*version corresponding to Office XP)
FrontPage web components. For purposes of this section, the Software means the FrontPage Web components, including the MSNBC news headline compone nt, the MSN MoneyCentral Stock Quote component, and the MSN Search component.
Installation and Use. You may install and use any number of copies of the Software on server computers to provide services as part of your web site on the Internet that you des ign with FrontPage and that is not a mobile wireless or interactive television site ("Your Web Site").
Restrictions. You may not edit or modify the Software in any manner whatsoever. You may not display any of the logos that appear in the Software in any manner that implies sponsorship, endorsement, or license of Your Web Site by the owners of such logos. If the Software contains any active links to other sites, you agree to maintain such active links and not redirect or modify them. You may not market, distribute, sublicense, lease or rent the Software on a stand- alone basis. You may not use the Software in connection with any site that disparages Microsoft, MSN, MSNBC, Expedia or their products or services, infringe any intellectual property or other rights of these parties, violate any state, federal or international law, or promote racism, hatred, or pornography. You shall not convert the news headlines in the MSNBC component into an audio format for redistribution to audio users. You agree to immediately remove the Software from Your Web Site if you do not abide by any of these restrictions after notice.
rOD.
Rod Begbie done this, and he's not
I wouldn't worry about it, stuff like this wouldn't hold up more than a second under First Amendment scrutiny.
uhhh:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Microsoft != Congress
(...last I checked, anyway. If that changes, time to fall on my sword.)
Really, the EULA is a voluntarily entered contract between the end user and Microsoft, and is not to be confused with a law passed by Congress. One might compare this clause of the agreement to an NDA, in that both place restraint upon your speech, but neither is unconstitutional.
The defense against this kind of practice is not to complain and wave the First Amendment, but to remove Microsoft from the position that allows them to make these demands.
Actually, forget the above. I think I found where this came from. Take a look at this PDF that has the phrase. Unfortunately, the PDF reader sucks when it comes to selecting text. But I think this is the relevent part: "For purposes of this section, the Software means the FrontPage Web components, including the MSNBC news headline compone nt, the MSN MoneyCentral Stock Quote component, and the MSN Search component."
This section looks like it specifically about components that interface with MSNBC news sites or something like that. It's not clear exactly what this section is referring to.
In any case, it's not a broad "you can't create an anti-Microsoft web site with Frontpage".
Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
Air Force grew out of the Army Air Corps after WWII and the Marines are officially a subset of the Navy, so the President is officially CIC of those branches as well.
I wish I had a kryptonite cross, because then you could keep Dracula and Superman away.
I'm not sure about the air force, but the marines are considered part of the Navy.
1. You may not disparage Microsoft or any of its products in your use of Microsoft product box shots.
If you use any of the Character Animation Data and Image Files, you agree to...not use the Character Animation Data and Image Files to disparage Microsoft, its products or services or for promotional goods or for products which, in Microsoft's sole judgment, may diminish or otherwise damage Microsoft's goodwill in the SOFTWARE PRODUCT....