RMS Weighs In On SPF/Sender-ID License

NW writes "In a recent message to the MARID list RMS weighs in on the licensing issues of Sender-ID/SPF and Microsoft: 'Microsoft's Sender-ID license is directly incompatible with free software regardless of which free software license is used. Free software means users are free to run it, study and modify the source, and to redistribute it with or without changes. Free to do so means there is no requirement to ask or tell anyone that you are doing so.'" "MARID" stands for MTA Authorization Records in DNS; here's the IETF MARID working group's charter. (Read more below.)

Stallman's message continues: "The Microsoft license for Sender-ID directly forbids release of software with all these freedoms, so it is impossible for any program to be free software under Microsoft's regime. I've been expecting to see something like this ever since Gates started talking about spam. This license is an example of Microsoft's strategy for killing off free software as an alternative to Windows. Microsoft first patents something, then incorporates it into a format or protocol, then tries to make it de rigueur while excluding those it wishes to exclude. In the absence of resistance, Microsoft has a good chance of imposing whatever standards it likes. Let us, therefore, resist it here and now."

Comments

Re:RMS craziness

[PrvtBurrito]

I know you are trolling but I find it ironic that the GPL spends a lot of time limiting freedoms (ie viral licensing, giving up copyright, etc), rather than providing them. Everytime I hear RMS speak he talks of "freedom," probably as much as GWB does.

Re:Here we go

[0racle]

Thank god RMS told me this is wrong, I might have been pragmatic about it and used something that worked without my sacrifice to the Church of RMS.

I hope he'll next tell me what car I should buy, who to marry and what diet I should be on. I'm looking forward to when he moves all his followers to a compound in Texas or South America, its gonna be sweet.