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Microsoft Source Code Still Not Enough for EU?

Posted by Zonk on from the sticking-it-to-them dept.

wjsteele writes "The BBC is reporting that Microsoft's offer to allow rivals access to its software blueprint may not be enough to prevent European Union action." From the article: "Its offer to open up its software blueprints 'underscored its commitment' to meet the European Commission's demands, Horacio Gutierrez associate general counsel for Microsoft Europe said in a statement. However, Brussels has warned the offer may not go far enough. 'It would be premature to conclude that offering access to source codes would necessarily resolve the problem of compliance," said EU anti-trust spokesman Jonathan Todd.'

4 of 337 comments (clear)

  1. In other words, "no comment" by EVil+Lawyer · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Is this really news, or is this an organization saying "no comment" until there's been due process?

  2. Re:Source code is nothing by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Source code is nothing, look at all obfuscating source code contest out there ! What this code look ! I know more than one programmer that will encrypt his code to keep his job !

    And then there's the compiler. It is very possible for Microsoft to have hidden essential parts of their source code into their own proprietary compiler so that the source is not compilable by anyone else. See Ken Thompson's "Reflections on Trusting Trust".

    --
    Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
  3. Microsoft CANNOT comply by killmenow · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My guess is Microsoft flat out cannot comply. I believe they DO NOT POSSESS documentation in the form of a full specification. Their only documentation IS THE CODE. The EU said, "Provide documentation of your APIs." Microsoft said, "Here's 15,000 pages of docs." Then the EU said, "That documentation is incomplete and horrible and just plain crappy...and that's putting it nicely. Try again." So Microsoft said, "F*** YOU! That documentation was all put together by reviewing our code. Our code is our only documentation. You want fully documented APIs...fine. Here it is, you figure it out."

    Of course, in order to look at Microsoft's source, you'll probably have to sign away your first born and you might as well give up the idea of ever writing any open source implementaton of anything you figure out from looking at that code or you'll be getting a call from Microsoft's lawyers asking you if you'd like to play a nice game of global thermonuclear war.

  4. Of course it's not enough by DarkDust · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The EU asked Microsoft to release documentation of their protocols. What MS offers is to license their source to people already using MS products.

    But that's not what the EU asked for or what the EU wants.

    Even worse, if MS licensed their source to a competitor and that competitor produces a product using some of the protocols used in Windows, MS could sue them for copyright violation.

    But it's a clever idea of MS nonetheless, IMHO. Luckily the EU didn't fall for it.