MS Pulls Windows 7 Tool After GPL Violation Claim

Sam notes an Ars story on Microsoft pulling the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool from the Microsoft Store website after a report indicating that the tool incorporated open source code in a way that violated the GNU's General Public License. Whether the software giant is actually violating the GPL, a widely used (including by the Linux kernel) free software license, is not confirmed. "We are currently taking down the Windows USB/DVD Tool from the Microsoft Store site until our review of the tool is complete," a Microsoft spokesperson told Ars. The fact the company pulled the tool doesn't bode well, so we'll have to watch closely to see what the company puts back on its servers.

Comments

Re:So, this is about as damning as you get, isn't

[kawabago]

It's also a ringing endorsement of open source. Microsoft can't do any better so they steal it, as usual.

Re:No, it isn't

[mydn]

Or the rational thing to do is to not use software with a viral license.

Re:So, this is about as damning as you get, isn't

[donaggie03]

I think he's trying to respond to criticism that even if Microsoft as a whole didn't know the code was infringing, they still infringed and thus they should still be held guilty of such infringement and be required to pay royalties/fines/etc. His argument seems to be that Microsoft is a huge company and generally, huge companies, when committing small violations, are given a bit of leeway in order to clean up their own mess before things become official. Assume MS was unaware of the violation. MS pulls the code when they are informed of said violation. This is where things normally come to a close. Even if they do get sued over this, the legal system introduces things like "unwillfull" violation and "acted in good faith", etc.