Microsoft To Share Office Source Code

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Microsoft To Share Office Source Code

Posted by Hemos on Monday September 20, 2004 @12:00AM from the aftershocks-to-ensue dept.

I_Love_Pocky! writes "According to this article, Microsoft is going to give its source code for Office 2003 to more than 30 different world governments. The purpose? So they can inspect the code for security flaws."

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Bet this doesn't include . . . by acceleriter · 2004-09-20 00:08 · Score: 4, Informative

. . . the DRM components and the secret file format parsers. Besides, all those governments, if they're that paranoid, should each worry about the other twenty-nine governments that will all have access to the supposed source.
I'll believe it when the government of Randomistan announces that they received the source code and build tools, and have compiled a version that bit-for-bit matches the retail CD.

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CEE5210S The signal SIGHUP was received.
1. Re:Bet this doesn't include . . . by IamTheRealMike · 2004-09-20 00:30 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  The so-called "secret" file format parsers aren't really secret at all, you can license the specs from Microsoft if you have enough $$$.
  The main problem is that they come with lots of nasty license clauses that prevent you from redistributing the knowledge and such, so it's not helpful for open source projects.
Re:I'm wondering... by EvilGrin666 · 2004-09-20 00:09 · Score: 4, Informative

They wont have a license to distribute the MS office code and any license they do have from MS is likely to be so encumbered that it would be incompatible with the opensource license.

The only viable option a government wishing to do this is to do a clean room design. Unless of course there are patent restrictions.
Re:I'm wondering... by ThePilgrim · 2004-09-20 00:12 · Score: 3, Informative

This won't work in the UK. You can't sue the UK Government unless it allows you to. Somthing called Crown immunity

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Wouldn't it be nice if schools got all the money they wanted and the army had to hold jumble sales for guns
Re:I'm wondering... by I+didn't · 2004-09-20 03:29 · Score: 3, Informative

Trojans can still be introduced by evil compilers. See Ken Thompson's Turing Award Lecture.