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."
It's a sensible idea, I think. Why would Microsoft allow its products to be used against them? It reminds me of Lenin's famous remark, "The capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them." Naturally, Microsoft not being stupid, they're not going to let you use their rope that way. Of course, most Slashdotters are against free-market capitalism, so I suppose it's understandable, in a pathetic sort of way, that this would be considered "newsworthy" around here.
It's been said before, and I suppose I'll end up having to say it this time.
The more MS squeezes, the more slips through their fingers.
Already, people are pretty much opting out of all this by continuing to run Windows 95 6 years after its release, and Office 97 4 years after its release. Many people have intimated that they'll hang onto 2000 as long as they can. If the longevity of previous MS OS's is any indicator, this may be five years or more.
And of course, there's always our favorite X-Factor, waiting in the wings to scoop up faithful even from MS's latest and greatest.
This effect becomes more obvious the more MS tightens the strings...
What we call folk wisdom is often no more than a kind of expedient stupidity.-Edward Abbey
According to this page, you can't use the Frontpage logo on a site that disparage Microsoft. Which seems pretty reasonable to me.
Good lord! Lies about Microsoft on Slashdot? Nah, couldn't be.
Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
Yes, unbelievable. Unbelievable that anyone would believe it. According to this page, you can't use the Frontpage logo on a site that disparage Microsoft.
Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
What will testing it accomplish?
Either the court will throw it out or uphold it. Examine each possibility for a moment.
What is the end result? Even if this licensing provision is thrown out, an MS critic (or several) have spent millions of dollars and their time in litigation. An ingenious way to drain resources from your enemy. [The Borg weapon seems to be designed merely to drain the shields.]
OTOH, if the licensing is upheld, it may mean that copyright law needs to be modified to include features that recognize licenses like this.
Those who would give up liberty in exchange for security and DRM should switch to Microsoft Palladium!
What about community sites that allow user posting? If the admin doesn't wish to read every single post to be able to remove all disparaging remarks about Microsoft, then they can't use FrontPage Web components anywhere on that site?
If you cannot read the contract until you have purchased the product and upon breaking the seal you and you lose your right to return the product - how is that voluntary? Moreover, did you ever see a case where the power was considered so disproportional that this sort of contract was thrown out? Well GM has lost cases based on that legal tenet. However, given the current composition of much of the federal judiciary I would not bet the farm on its immediate help.
Nonetheless, Microsoft has been labelled a monopolist using illegal business practices. You might wish to quibble and say it's not over having not seen a Supreme Court decision. But you should notice that they even pushed a more friendly applet court to issue an unanimous decision stating MS did not understand the conclusions the court had made.
Perhaps I am an optimist, which few people accuse me of being in person, but like all powers counter forces arise and MS may meet its match soon.