Microsoft 'Shared Source' Attempts to Hijack FOSS

aacc1313 writes "An article that details how Open Source is being hijacked by Microsoft and the sort via 'Shared Source' licenses and how Open Source licenses have become so much more confusing. From the article, "The confusion stems from the fact that Microsoft's 'shared source' program includes three proprietary licenses as well, whose names are similar in some ways to the open-source licenses. Thus, while the Microsoft Reciprocal License has been approved by OSI, the Microsoft Limited Reciprocal License (Ms-LRL) is not, because it allows users to modify and redistribute the software only on the Windows platform" and "The 'shared source' program was and is Microsoft's way of fighting the open source world, allowing customers to inspect Microsoft source code without giving those customers the right to modify or redistribute the code. In other words, "shared source" is not open source, and shouldn't be confused with it.""

Comments

A legitimate question

[stonecypher]

How is this any different than what GPL did to BSD? Show up, act like you invented the term "free software", impose a bunch of draconian restrictions that didn't used to exist and loudly tell everyone that your choice of strictures does good for the community?

Preparing for inappropriate troll and flamebait mods. It's still a legitimate question.

Re:What is Open Source?

[AndGodSed]

And on another tack - I wonder if MS would incorporate any positive changes you would make to their source code.

And if they incorporate it, would they automatically own it, hence not needing to pay you for it?

Not only are we M$'s beta testers, we are now their bug fixers.

Sounds fishy - but that is just me playing the paranoia card...

Re:Auditable source

[fbjon]

But it's not closed. I propose a scale:

1. Public domain (or legal equivalent)
2. Open source
3. Free source
4. Visible source
5. Closed source

Optionally bundle Free/Open together.

Re:Auditable source

[KutuluWare]

I think we are running into the same problem with "closed" that we have run into with "free" for years now. The word is typically used because it is the opposite of open, but both words have a number of subtly different meanings, and every definition of "open" is not the exact opposite of every definition of "closed".

Closed can mean "not allowing access", which covered most proprietary software where the source code is completely hidden from everyone except the copyright holders.

Closed can also mean "not open to the general public", which covers the type of traditional source-code licenses being referenced in the GPP. In this case, there are some people who have access to the code, it's just not publically visible.

There's a third definition of closed, that of "requirement memebership", usually in the sense of a closed union shop or a closed industry trade group. This is very roughly the sense of closed that applies to the some of the shared source licenses, in that the code is open to the public only in the sense that anyone willing to follow all of the "membership requirements" is allowed to use it.

Of course, arguably any license fits into that third category, so the difference between open and closed then falls onto how open or closed those individual requirements are. For example, the limiting of access of derived software to only running on Windows is more closed than allowing derived software to run on any platform.

The FSF has taken to using the term "libre" instead of "free" because it has the explicit connotation of freedom by lack of restructions. There must be terms that are less ambiguous than "closed" that are also appropriate. A poster lower down suggested Visible, which is better but still doesn't distinguish the various degrees to which a company can make its source visible. Unfortunately I like the word "shared" in certain senses but not in others. It has the implications of being available for others to look at, but still being completely owned and controlled by the copyright holder.

Perhaps:

* Public Domain - Or legal equivalent
* Open Source - Open with minimal restrictions (BSD)
* Free Source - Open but with restrictions (GPL)
* Shared Source? Illustrative Source? Read-Only Source? This is where I get stuck. Code that anyone can see but cannot use.
* Restricted Source - Available under severe restrictions (confidentiality etc.)
* Closed Source - Fully hidden from all but copyright owner

Re:Auditable source ... IMO: "Open" ....

[OldHawk777]

Proper Nouns are not pronouns
Open is not open.
Bath is not bath.
China is not china.
Apple is not apple.
Mobile is not mobile.
Windows is not windows.
US ain't us, but is should be US not U$/M$/eU....

"Open" should be an internationally protected market/economic trademark like Champaign, Cognac ....

"Open" provides significant international market/product value that is being fraudulently used by companies (like microsoft) to damage the market value of "Open". L/FOSS companies need "Open" to be competitive and differentiate L/FOSS services, methods, standards, products ... from the corporatism profiteers' drive-by sales of SOSS (Same Old Shit Software) in the USA and EU pseudo-capitalism economy.

"Open" needs to be legally protected in the global market just like Sun_sun_SUN, Java_java_Java, Windows_windows....

IOW: To use the market trademark "Open" specific standards must be meet ... like ... source is freely editable, shareable, and available ..., just read about GPL and BSD licenses, then by consensus define how/when/... the trademark "Open" can be used. "Open" defines many varied source purposes, concepts, applying to software code, personal creative content, standards, patents, community structures, collaborations .... If this is not done, I am sure that the corporatist/plutocrats of pseudo-capitalism will bury the L/FOSS community and any other "Open" markets/sectors (Standards, Content, Music ...) in this anti-competitive corporate-welfare economy.