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Should Microsoft Be Required To Extend Support For Windows XP?

Posted by timothy on from the here-you-hold-the-thumbscrews dept.

An anonymous reader writes "If Windows XP were a photocopier, Microsoft would have a duty to deal with competitors who sought to provide aftermarket support. A new article in the Michigan Law Review argues that Microsoft should be held to the same duty, and should be legally obligated to help competitors who wish to continue to provide security updates for the aging operating system, even if that means allowing them to access and use Windows XP's sourcecode."

3 of 650 comments (clear)

  1. Where do you draw the line? by glasshole · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Photocopier vendors do not open the controller software up to competitors / vendors who provide support. They just give them specs for replacement parts. Do you force Apple to let 'competitors' support OS X 10.5 on G5 Macs? Do you force Google to let competitors still support Google Wave?

  2. no. by globaljustin · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I am a critic of M$ but I do not think they should be required by law.

    Only in the case of some sort of long-term contract that is still in effect, that mentions specifically updating software until a time in the future...unless that is the case.

    These laws are complex and the photocopier example is interesting.

    I am against artificial scarcity for sure...that's one reason I hate M$...but I think this may cross the line. If M$ wants to let XP die then they have the right to refuse to make vital trade secret info available to people who want to keep it alive.

    I have a feeling the photocopier example is more about purposefully creating artificial scarcity. It's not quite analogous b/c it's an actual machine not software.

    I'm not giving M$ a pass. Its about property rights. If people love XP so much (i remember it was the only windows version i could really get work done using...would still choose it today) then the community will come up with a solution...which should be legal to give away for free.

    --
    Thank you Dave Raggett
  3. Depends by fredprado · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Microsoft or any software company should be forced to provide full support for their commercial products for as long as they hold copyright over them.