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Microsoft To Issue Blanket License To NGOs
itwbennett writes "Following a recent report that Russian police have used software copyright raids to seize computers of activist groups, Microsoft announced it will issue a blanket software license to nonprofit groups and journalist groups outside the US. The new blanket license should remove software piracy as an excuse for 'nefarious actions' by enforcement authorities, Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith wrote. The new license 'cuts in one swoop the Gordian knot that otherwise is getting in the way of our desired handling of these legal issues,' he said. 'The law in Russia (and many other countries) requires that one must provide truthful information about the facts in response to a subpoena or other judicial process. With this new software license, we effectively change the factual situation at hand. Now our information will fully exonerate any qualifying [nonprofit], by showing that it has a valid license to our software.'"
And the qualifier is, of course, "qualifying." The article doesn't say who qualifies, and says that journalists and NGOs don't have to do anything to get the license, which means they don't find out that they don't qualify until they're in the same situation they're already facing, I guess.
I'm not criticising this move. It's the start of the right thing to do. But lets not forget that although the price will be zeroed, the NGO's will still not be able to see what the software is doing, will still not be able to change the software.
NGO's should use free software.
Expert in software patents or patent law? Contribute to the ESP wiki!
In soviet russia, software licenses you?
"Freedom in the USA is not the ability to do what you want. It is the ability to stop others from doing what THEY want"
I'm really glad to see this.
So, what you're saying is, this is a win-win scenario for both Microsoft and non-US NGOs. Don't they teach win-win being a wonderful thing at school?
This is one move I would never have suspected Microsoft to take. It will be interesting, but it only lasts until 2012. It's hard to believe they would extend it longer.
I wonder how many Russians are going to scramble for non-profit status.
Can you cite evidence of any "dissident" groups in the US that have been busted for software piracy? This is a case of Microsoft trying to "do the right thing", they should be applauded for their efforts, not criticized.
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
There are pro-marijuana groups that may be doing nothing illegal in the limelight by producing leaflets and holding rallies that are subject to the scrutiny of law enforcement.
That's probably an extreme example because I doubt any corporation would want any of their products associated with a pro-marijuana group as it would be bad for their image - branding is everything these days.
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
So, what you're saying is, this is a win-win scenario for both Microsoft and non-US NGOs. Don't they teach win-win being a wonderful thing at school?
You are thinking of the elusive "win-win-win.....win"
I can't speak for the OS X people but this has precisely *ZERO* effect on Linux.
Yes, there are a few zealots wherever you go but most people use Linux because it does what they need an OS to do & a policy change from Microsoft isn't going to change that.
There is *NO* war between Linux & Windows but as long as there are people out there saying that Linux isn't ready for the desktop, then there will be some groups of developers trying to make it more suitable for those people.
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
THEY, should be using whatever THEY want, not what YOU want. Attitudes like yours are what start Crusades, jihads, and pogroms. Unlike the instigators of those events, you're probably too pussy to put your money where your fist is, so in the end YOU are harmless.
Am I supposed to know what a "blanket software license" is?
If American English is your primary language, yes.
If not, know that here in America, we license our electric blanket software (the programs that tell a blanket when its getting too hot). Sure, some hip nerds install Linux on theirs so they can literally feel the system load, but most people just think of electric blankets as appliances.
So far as my limited understanding of US copyright law goes, the government cannot sue someone for copyright infringement on behalf of the rights owner; the latter actually has to initiate the process. In Russia (and a few other places), this is not the case - copyright infringement (even small-scale) is a criminal matter, and prosecuted as such by the state, with or without cooperation from the rights owner. This is what made possible the abuse in this particular case. It's actually hinted at in TFS:
The law in Russia (and many other countries) requires that one must provide truthful information about the facts in response to a subpoena or other judicial process. With this new software license, we effectively change the factual situation at hand.
The situation before was like this: say, Russian police gets a tip from "above" to harass a particular NGO. They raid the offices on some premise (it's not US, so there are many ways to legitimize such a raid) and confiscate a bunch of PCs. They then subpoena MS to testify whether software on those PCs, in which MS holds copyrights, is legitimately owned or copyright-infringing. Chances are high that at least a few boxes would have something unlicensed on them - and if they don't, you can always plant it there (rumor it is that it's precisely what they did in the case in question), so MS says "yes, some of that is not licensed". Police then takes it to state prosecutor which uses it as the grounds for the copyright infringement case.
The whole point of this blanket license is so that, if govt tries that trick again in the future, MS can say that all software in question is legally used, without even having to look at it. Hence there would be no grounds for a lawsuit.
Though something tells me that they'll just start looking for pirated Photoshop etc from now on.
The irony is that you can still end up in court for running Linux on PCs without "licenses", because the police don't understand it, and will only take those shiny holographic stickers as a proof that your software is "licensed". It's boneheaded, but some Russian Linux distribution companies have since started selling special stickers for Linux just for this purpose.
ever!
Weird shit has been happening to me since I started taking Ambien!
RIP America
July 4, 1776 - September 11, 2001
I didn't realise you needed a license to own a blanket.
How does Linus feel about this?
Brain surgery - it's not rocket science!
Don't Linux users already have all sorts of paraphernalia to celebrate their iconoclastic nature?
Who's going to notice another sticker in that mess?
The local government decides what organization "qualifies" for exemption, as M$ must "obey local laws."
Wanna guess what organization will NOT be granted the exemption?
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
I used to work for a 501c3 non-profit and we got ridiculously good deals on Microsoft licensing. Everything from server licenses, to Office suite, Exchange and the whole Back Office line of products (SQL, Sharepoint, etc). I know that our Office licenses (for the Professional edition) were in the neighborhood of $30 a piece. That included a provision that allowed the users to have a copy of the program on their home computer as well.
I think you are misinterpreting that paragraph; and thus not giving Microsoft their due credit.
It is saying that Microsoft already does run a ‘donation’ program to NGOs that likely does allow them tax deductions at no cost. But that’s not what this is. By instantly creating a license that any NGO can use for free; they cannot claim a deduction. For a deduction, they would have to get the NGO/journalist to go through specific channels so that they could document the ‘donation’. And that of course if why they want to move people to their donation program.
This is talked about in a bit more detail in the Microsoft blog entry that announced it. I would expect this to make it a bit more difficult to get NGOs to use their donation program since the motivation for jumping through the hooks is less.
This is a fantastic program and Microsoft should be commended for it. Even on Slashdot.
Now, getting deductions for software (or other IP) donations in general is ridiculous and something that governments should reconsider. Any business deduction where they can control the value of the donation by their pricing is somewhat shady. But this license does not seem to be taking advantage of that.
most people use Linux because it does what they need an OS to do
Very true. I find Windows to be the best (and most aesthetically appealing -- aero is some good stuff :P) environment for the majority of tasks that I do. For manipulating raw disk images though, the tools available for Windows pale in comparison to those on Linux. I keep that Ubuntu VM around for the inverse of the reasons that the Linux zealots keep the XP VM on their desktops ;-)
Boot Windows, Linux, and ESX over the network for free.
Which organizations? How will Microsoft define "journalist"? Will bloggers qualify? Does the journalist, the publication, and/or the group need to be outside the US?
Will they get a license key and support?
So very naive. Do they think they are getting IP enforcement externalities for free?
I use Linux most of the time (my job even centres around it) but I quite like XP and have a few games and apps running on it that I either can't run or run well in Linux.
Both have their strengths & weaknesses, but neither are religious icons - just tools to get a job done.
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
Only if they're in Russia.
I have argued that NGOs should change to Linux to avoid this very vulnerability. Some have even done so at my suggestion. I suspect at root that with this move Microsoft is parrying this very trend. And looking good while doing so. Of course NGOs should still use Linux for many reasons. Especially since much of the pirate software on their boxes is not MS and this still leaves them vulnerable. Most work done by NGOs can be accomplished by FOSS. Linux and NGOs are a natural fit.
Of course a bully needs only the weakest excuse so the official harassment will continue despite whatever OS or resources are used.
"No fear. No envy. No meanness." Liam Clancy
MS gets a free sales bump to feel good organizations. Organizations get free software, the FSB gets to slide in all the quality malware they like. ... win win win for all. The CIA gets a longer list of front organizations and useful idiots to incubate for 'color revolutions'.
Young campaigners are exposed to MS products telling their friends and family
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
For instructional use, they give us software for free. We decided to just go and get their software assurance pack (more or less a site license for their software for any use) and it is extremely cheap on a yearly basis. Students get massive discounts, and the get to keep the license when they leave and use it for any purpose, including for profit.
MS and Adobe are actually two of the best companies for cutting educational institutions a break. Some of the engineering companies... Well they are assholes :P.
NGOs are full of starry idealist types usually, but they are busy being idealistic about their given cause. Often it is something really important, like distributing food to starving people, or vaccinating against deadly, but preventable diseases or shit like that. They do not have time to get all starry eyed about your chosen cause as well, software freedom in this case. They can't go and spend the time to become programmers just so they can "see what the software is doing."
Linux users may not like to admit the fact but in an enterprise setting, Microsoft products get shit done. For some people, that is all that matters, in particular if what they are doing matters more.
"Blanket license" is a pretty common term - it means that the license applies to everyone in the class, regardless of whether or not they have signed a specific agreement with Microsoft.
Was that a pig i just saw fly by?
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Only if they're in Russia.
Ummm, no
From the New Your Times article:
The policy could have repercussions beyond Russia because the company indicated that it would apply to other countries as well, though it did not identify them.
From the IT World article:
Microsoft announced it will issue a blanket software license to nonprofit groups and journalist groups outside the US
Since when does "outside the US" translate to "only if they're in Russia"?
While it may indeed only apply to Russia, there is at least implication that it does not and may apply to everywhere outside of the US.
I may never have a reason to say this ever again so, well done!
Mod parent up, it's nowhere near flamebait. WTF!
Never thought I'd be posting this on Slashdot, but an unbelievable move for good by Microsoft. It's good to see them take a stand against repression. Now, I hope these same ethics get cemented in all their business processes.
It's not about submitting kernel patches. It's about seeing who's listening and being able to add security/anonymity/privacy features.
Those thugs don't just arrive randomly.
Expert in software patents or patent law? Contribute to the ESP wiki!
It's an interesting concept, but won't government agents with an agenda simply look to non-Microsoft software as an excuse for a raid?
"In prison you just have to shut your eyes and take it. Here you have to shut your eyes and give it."
What the hell is this? Rational thought on Slashdot? Dammit man what are you DOING!? You know we're supposed to push Linux as the be-all and end-all of software in the Universe - whether it runs your applications or not, whether it has drivers or not, whether you like it or not. It's FREE man!
It's simple, OK? If the apps you want don't work, you must find or write the replacement (even if the only programming you've ever done was managing to set the clock on your VCR to 1am. Once. And now the only way you can get the time right is to wait to reset it at one in the morning. If there are no drivers for your hardware, you bought the wrong hardware and it's YOUR FAULT we don't have all the hardware manufacturers producing only open-source drivers. Go buy replacement hardware now (note, we won't actually make it easy for you to tell if there are drivers for a Netcomm wireless adapter, you should KNOW it's a UCom 32k98ga rev 3 not a rev 4).
Hmmm. More ranty than I planned. Whatever.
This is gonna be really hard, but here it goes...
Yay Microsoft! Well done!
-- QED
n/t
Ever since President Adlai Stevenson lost the Cold War in 1955, silly!
http://alternatives.rzero.com/
If Microsoft wants to protect NGO non-profit's from nefarious actions they should not be so hypocritical as to do it abroad only.
How is that hypocritical?
I generally have little good to say about Microsoft, but I'll give them a bit of thanks here. It was a nice try. We'll stop there though, because Russia does not really need to act under the guise of protecting Microsoft to crack down on dissenters. They will continue to harass, arrest, and intimidate dissenters and protesters as much as they please, and find some BS justification after the fact, if they feel a need to justify their actions at all. They are certainly more accountable today than during Soviet times, but not by much, and corruption runs rampant at all levels. So this is a nice gesture by Microsoft, but let's not get carried away - it will not serve to protect or promote free speech in Russia.
This is a hacked account, for which the owner can not be held responsible.
NGO's should use free software.
Where possible. But free software isn't very useful to reporters in jurisdictions with software patents because all widely available digital camcorders use a patented MPEG codec. The United States is not the only such jurisdiction.
Why do Slashdot articles sometimes use such weird terminology? Am I supposed to know what a "blanket software license" is?
I KNOW!!!! I meen, slashdot is always uzing crazy jargon that is impossible to interpret, like "internet" (WTF iz that???), GPL, copyright, and software (why is it soft? Is it out of shape, rotten, or overcooked?). Come on slashdot, u needz to use more one-silable words, PLZ!!! I spendz all my time looking up "slashwordz", like Linnux, jedi, and geek, just too name afew. lol i can haz nerd dictionary now? Maybe FOX news and simple talk iz better for some of uz, and tell us what to think so we not have to spend time thinking. Going back to MTV now cyal8r
This is a hacked account, for which the owner can not be held responsible.
So what is the definition of a "kernel extension" then?
A module that runs in kernel mode, such as a device driver or a filter driver. Windows Vista introduced a user-mode framework for some kinds of device drivers, but it's not complete: input device drivers still must be kernel modules, and the code signing requirement for these on 64-bit versions of the operating system hurts hobbyist or low-volume makers of accessibility tools.
I understood that antivirus apps used to operate by hooking the Windows kernel and post Vista SP2(?) that's not allowed anymore.
I did a Google search for windows antivirus hooks that led me to a question on Stack Overflow whose answer was file system filter drivers.
You know you've been using Linux too long when you watch Peanuts animated specials and you think the voice actors are pronouncing Linus's name wrong. (Linus Torvalds is LEE-nus; Linus van Pelt is LIE-nus.)
Go buy replacement hardware now (note, we won't actually make it easy for you to tell if there are drivers for a Netcomm wireless adapter, you should KNOW it's a UCom 32k98ga rev 3 not a rev 4).
Like I said, they both have their strengths and weaknesses. I'm a 15-year Linux veteran but even I had to spend a good few hours working out what driver to use for the wireless on a HP laptop I bought about 2 years ago.
No one said it was perfect! :-)
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
The cops will find another reason to raid the NGO's and put them in jail for something else.
MS isn't doing anything but trying to make them sound like they are nice.
Look, if the police/government is corrupt, which is appears to be, they will find another reason. Sure, the software is easy to do, but they'll figure out something else, they always do.
The problem is the government is corrupt there. Giving away software won't change that.
Be seeing you...
Until Linus licenses his blanket from Microsoft, I'll stick with my duvet.
DNA is the ultimate spaghetti code.
Actually the article strongly implies that this is a specific response to the Russian situation. It certainly doesn't imply that it's for all countries outside of the US.
How else could NGO's and such avoid license fees and license nightmares? Why, use opensource. Install linux. Free too.
So to avoid people shifting to an OS that doesn't get you raided, MS offers its software free to a market that isn't exactly rolling in cash anyway. Kinda like the free licenses to schools. The first one is always free.
Now this IS a nice thing MS is doing, IF it doesn't come with the usual hooks, but it is also a good business move.
Mind you, for MS this is amazing :) Something that is good for them AND a lot of people. It is going to be one hell of a cold day.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
And they don't even charge you for the NSA backdoor! Seriously; why would any NGO throw away what (I assume) little money they have on non-free software? Is Active X and Clippy central to your mission statement?
Setting up a blog makes you a journalist in the same way that writing "Hello World" in BASIC makes you a computer programmer.
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
The whole point of this blanket license is so that, if govt tries that trick again in the future, MS can say that all software in question is legally used, without even having to look at it. Hence there would be no grounds for a lawsuit.
Though something tells me that they'll just start looking for pirated Photoshop etc from now on.
Actually, What it seems like they did was that they went to the local MS lawyer and said "There's illegal software on this computer ... RIGHT?
at which point the MS lawyer either blindly says that it's illegal or (at best) prevaricates. 4-8 months later, if the organization manages to prove that everything is legal, they will hopefully get their machines back.
This was easy to do in the past because "everybody knows" that everybody runs windows, and few people in Russia have legal licenses. Now, even if they claim that it's an illegal copy of photoshop, they now have to actually look at the machine first -- or plant the software, which is even more work....
And some people, by now, hopefully know to download GIMP, if they want to stay one step ahead of (corrupt) law enforcement.
Free Software: Like love, it grows best when given away.
The thing is, surely, that if they are in a position to raid offices and confiscate computers, it's irrelevant whether they actually find any unlicensed software there or not. They've still had access to all that juicy confidential information, names and addresses of contacts, whatever, never mind the fact that they can have installed some monitoring/bugging software on the machines.
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
So you've got this terrifying police-gangster state, but they're prepared to let you off because you've got a cute penguin sticker on your laptop?
Hmmmm.
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
What if governments want to look for a pirated copy of Photoshop?
The Internet has given stupid people the resources of intelligent people.
The begrudgers always critisize, but it's not just blankets - MS are also licensing duvets, bedsheets and pillow slips
If they want to nail you as a police state, they will of course find some other reason. But in most cases it's not about political persecution from above, but simply the attempt to coerce into paying bribes to those directly involved in the investigation. In the latter case, they don't have the entire state apparatus suppoting them, so it's still quite possible to get out of trouble like that.
They aren't interested in monitoring NGOs - the latter don't exactly work in secret, anyway. Besides, all communications in Russia are effectively tapped by default anyway, there just needs to be someone to tune in (google for SORM-2). What they want is to "make an example" on one hand, and prevent dissemination of information on another.
Just because it is a response to the situation in Russia does not mean or imply that Russia is the only place it will apply. Maybe it applies to all CIS countries, or everywhere that Microsoft deems a similar situation to Russia likely. Also, I didn't say it implied that it applies to all non-US countries, but that it implies that it may apply to all non-US countries.
The New York Times article clearly states (no implication needed) that it doesn't only apply to Russia ("the company indicated that it would apply to other countries as well, though it did not identify them."), while the IT World article makes no implication that it is Russia-only and the part I quoted implies that it would apply worldwide outside of the US (although it's probably just poorly worded).
Meaningless gesture. Will change nothing at all.
Thanks to eating disorders most chicks are reasonably good looking these days.
Lots of good arguments about what this all means here. I'm of the opinion that it's a win-draw for M$. They don't get paid for what they didn't get paid for before, and they get good PR for this announcement. It keeps them from being scapegoated for some of what the foreign governments are doing. It won't make much difference to the attacked organizations. But what the discussion has done for me is raise awareness. From now on, I will ask every charity to which I give whether they spend money on software with functionality that can be had for free.
What about here at home in the U.S.?
I honestly don't know why you got modded down, because, regardless of any speculation, your question is perfectly valid. I did some digging around, and turns out that US NGOs are already eligible for some free licenses from MS. Specifically, Win7 and Office Live (i.e. the web version, not the desktop one) Small Business is on the list as free. Some other stuff, including Win2008 Server and Office 2010, is discounted, though I don't know by how much.
The difference with this case is that every organization has to apply for the license individually - it's not blanket. However, the eventual goal is to also move to the same model in Russia (it's all in place already, it's just that many organizations don't even know that they're eligible) - that's why the blanket license is only until 2012, to provide efficient short-term protection in the meantime.
This is standard practice, and has been since IBM, DEC and Honeywell were competing for marketshare and PCs were not even a glimmer in anyone's eye.
The caveat is that this "Educational Licensing" is for degree granting institutions only. If I run classes for disabled children who will never be able to work, I will not receive this licensing. If I run classes for crippled nuns that were run over by Larry Ellison's car, I will not receive this licensing.
The reason computer companies do this is because of research done by IBM when I was just a pup. The marketing geniuses at IBM figured out that bright young graduates who had been trained on a particular system would influence buying decisions for decades after graduation, by pressuring their employers to purchase the systems they were most competent and comfortable with. By giving their stuff to schools, they receive sales benefits vastly in excess of the cost of providing the tapes (downloads, nowadays); even in the case of hardware there is a significant long-term benefit, so IBM and DEC used to give away hardware too (free hardware is rarer these days because the margins are too thin).
There's nothing wrong with what they are doing. It's good business! But they are not cutting you a break It's an entirely self-serving and profit making activity. If you're feeling anything more than mild gratitude you are just being used - do you feel like your butcher is "cutting you a break" whenever he doesn't stuff your pork chops with feces? No, you just appreciate a good businessman doing what's right for his own business.
The engineering companies probably can't afford to help you (although it's true they might also be assholes) because they can't recover the costs like Microsoft can.
When I was doing work with underprivileged city kids, Novell and HP stepped up, Microsoft and IBM declined because we weren't "degree granting". When I was working for a non-profit research organization, HP stepped up - with very very expensive hardware I might add - but Microsoft and IBM declined because we weren't "degree granting".
Of course, all that was before Carly Fiorina. I don't know how HP treats non-profit research labs today.